title: Deaths from motor-vehicle-related unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning--Colorado, 1996, New Mexico, 1980-1995, and United States, 1979-1992.
abstract: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas that is a product of incomplete combustion. Motor vehicles, heaters, and appliances that use carbon-based fuels are the main sources of this poison. Most fatal unintentional CO poisonings associated with motor vehicles are preventable and can result from differing mechanisms of exposure; 1) operation of a motor vehicle with a damaged or malfunctioning exhaust system and an inadequately ventilated passenger compartment, 2) operation of a motor vehicle in an enclosed space (e.g., a garage) with inadequate ventilation, and 3) use of auxiliary fuel-burning heaters inside a passenger compartment or in a camper. This report describes the investigation of deaths associated with multiple motor-vehicle-related CO poisonings in Colorado on November 3, 1996, summarizes a review of such deaths in New Mexico during 1980-1995, and presents geographic and seasonal patterns in national death rates for 1979-1992. These findings indicate that deaths from motor-vehicle-related unintentional CO poisonings increase during winter months and that death rates from CO poisoning in stationary motor vehicles are highest in states with colder average winter temperatures.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions