Fire and ice: diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning in a remote environment.

What Researchers Did

Researchers described a case of carbon monoxide poisoning in a sailor following a submarine fire and demonstrated the utility of a non-invasive pulse CO-oximeter for diagnosis and screening in a remote environment.

What They Found

A 33-year-old sailor exposed to fire on a submarine was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning, showing an initial carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) level of 28%. He was treated with high-flow oxygen. Fifteen other crew members were screened in less than 10 minutes, all having normal COHb levels of 1-2%.

Canadian Relevance

This study has no direct Canadian connection.

Study Limitations

This study is limited as it describes a single case report and a small number of individuals screened, limiting generalizability.