[Rapid diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning and quantitative determination of CO-Hb in blood]

A quick diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning is a very difficult clinical problem. This paper describes a photometric method which permits a reliable diagnosis in a time of 7 to 10 minutes. Only 0.3 ml whole blood are necessary for the total procedure. Carboxyhemoglobin changes in absorption maximum slightly after reduction, whereas Oxyhemoglobin shows a significant change in extinction. Measurement of the hemolysate at the same wave length before and after alkaline reduction results in large differences in the extinctions (very large for Oxyhemoglobin and very small for Carboxyhemoglobin). Calibration curves are prepared by calibrating rest-extinction defined as: (formula: see text) to percent Carboxyhemoglobin. This curve can also be produced in mathematical way (as control e.g.). In practice there are the following steps: blood collecting (from fingerpad), hematolysis, first photometric measurement, reduction, second measurement, then reading the result from the calibration curve. The method can be automated (as demonstrated with the "Gilford System") providing the same results as with the manual method. All steps of quality control are given in full detail; as is the preparation of the hemolysates with various percentages of Carboxyhemoglobin.