A New Medical Device To Test For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (NAPSA)—While you can’t see it or smell it, carbon monoxide (CO) may be the most dangerous substance most people come in contact with in their daily life. The colorless, odorless gas is produced whenever carbon-based fuels such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal are burned. Manypopular spring and summer activities such as camping, boating and barbecuing pose increased risks for CO poisoning. In the United States, CO poisoning is responsible for more than 40,000 emergency room vis- its and nearly 4,000 deaths each year. Without prompt treatment, CO poisoning can not only be deadly, but research has shown that, if left untreated, even one exposure to excessive levels of CO can lead to permanent heart and brain damage. Fortunately, there is a new, noninvasive technology to test CO levels in the blood that is readily available. The Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter is the first and only technology to allow health care professionals to determine the level of CO in the blood in seconds by simply and painlessly slipping a sensor on the end of a patient’s finger. Current diagnostic technique requires a blood sample, and results take time. Too often, emergency personnel and hospital clini- ciansfail to diagnose CO poisoning correctly since its symptoms—nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath—so closely mirror those of A new, noninvasive technology allows health care professionals to determine the level of CO in the blood in seconds. lesser afflictions such as the flu or food poisoning. In fact, recent studies indicate that as many as 30 to 50 percent of CO-exposed patients visiting emergency rooms are misdiagnosed. CO poisoning poses great risk, but with the Masimo Rad-57, the condition is easily diagnosed and permanent damage can be mini- mized if treatment is administered in a timely manner. Additional information on the Masimo Rad-57 can be found at Www.masimo.com.
