What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively reviewed 624 inpatient and emergency department cases at an academic medical center to evaluate trends and characteristics associated with obtaining serial carboxyhemoglobin levels between April 2010 and March 2015.
What They Found
Out of 624 identified cases, 106 (17%) involved multiple carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels, with an average of 2.6 serial levels obtained. The average initial COHb was 8.9%, decreasing to 2.8%, 1.8%, and 1.1% at subsequent measurements taken at 353, 663, and 1,095 minutes on average. Serial COHb levels were more common in burn patients, ICU admissions, and those receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy, with four patients showing an increase in COHb, the largest from 2.0% to 3.9%.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that serial COHb testing is frequently performed, yet rarely shows a clinically significant increase, implying potential for over-testing. Reducing unnecessary serial COHb measurements could streamline patient care and optimize resource allocation in Canadian emergency departments and hospitals.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's retrospective, single-center design may limit the generalizability of its findings to other healthcare settings.