What Researchers Did
Researchers presented a case of a patient with severe chronic carboxyhemoglobinemia and polycythemia caused by chronic hookah smoking.
What They Found
They found a patient who chronically smoked hookah had a blood carboxyhemoglobin level of 33.6%, which is the highest recorded hookah-related concentration in medical literature. This significant chronic carboxyhemoglobinemia explained his unexplained polycythemia.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a case report, the findings are limited to a single patient and may not be generalizable to a broader population.