title: [Carbon monoxide poisoning from indoor barbecues--incidents reported to the German-speaking Poison Information Centers and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin].
abstract: From 2008 to the end of 2009 the Joint Poison Information Center (PIC) in Erfurt observed 7 incidents involving 17 persons (1 fatality) with signs of carbon monoxide poisoning from indoor barbecues (COFIB). To find out whether COFIB is a regional or a general phenomenon in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all information about COFIBs recorded by the 11 German-speaking Poison Information Centers and the BfR Berlin were retrospectively analyzed for the period 2000 to 2009. In all, 60 COFIBs (accidental: 90.0 %, suicidal: 8.3%, reason unknown: 1.7%) involving 146 individuals were reported. The number of incidents increased from one case with 2 persons in 2000 to 18 cases involving 34 persons in 2009. The 146 victims (female 26.7%, male 27.4%, gender unknown 45.9%; adults 58.2%, children 24.7%, age unknown 17.1%) lived in 15 of the 16 federal states of Germany and in Switzerland. The highest number of victims was found in Bavaria (23), Brandenburg (18), and Baden-Wuerttemberg (18). The symptoms according to the Poisoning Severity Score were none to mild in 60.3%, moderate in 13.7%, severe in 11.6%, fatal in 6.9% and unratable in 7.5%. No clear correlation was found between the carboxyhemoglobin concentration and the severity of the symptoms. As a rising number of COFIBs often involving several individuals was observed from 2000 to 2009, the general public was informed about the risks of indoor barbecues.
authors.affiliation: Gemeinsames Giftinformationszentrum Erfurt.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deters
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganzert
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermanns-Clausen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stürer
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Szibor
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebbecke
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heppner
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hruby
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Reinecke
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hentschel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001317:Austria; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003296:Cooking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin