Emergency department screening for unsuspected XXXX exposure.

@entity1 @entity137 @entity1223 @entity2613 @entity204
@entity1223 (CO) is the leading toxic cause of @entity204 in the United States today. Unsuspected exposure to this gas will sometimes result in clinically significant, but undiagnosed, @entity137 . A high incidence of such unsuspected exposures would make screening for these worthwhile among high-risk populations. We conducted a two-part study to determine the value of screening for unsuspected CO exposure in a population of @entity1 presenting to an emergency department. The first part of our study involved the prospective screening of @entity2613 @entity1 using CO breath analysis, regardless of their chief complaint. In the second part, COHGB levels of all @entity1 who underwent arterial blood gas analysis during the study period were reviewed retrospectively. Of 1,038 @entity1 screened by this combined approach, only 29 (2.8%) had abnormal CO breath readings and/or COHGB levels. Of a condensed subgroup of 152 @entity1 defined retrospectively by chief complaint, eight (5.3%) had abnormal values. We conclude that routine screening of @entity2613 @entity1 for unsuspected CO exposure is not practical. Although yield increases when @entity1 are screened in a more selective manner on the basis of chief complaint, such an increase still does not appear to justify the screening process.
