title: Carboxyhaemoglobinaemia and pulse oximetry.
abstract: We compared measurements obtained with a pulse oximeter (SpO2) against values obtained from a CO-oximeter in a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning. SpO2 was equal to the sum of the oxyhaemoglobin (HbO) and carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) values over the range of HbCO from 30 to 1%. This confirms the experimental findings that pulse oximeters measure HbCO as HbO. The patient was treated with oxygen (FlO2 = 50%) and recovered without any sequelae. Under these circumstances, the half-life of HbCO was approximately 2 h.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vegfors
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lennmarken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D010100:Oxygen