Carbon Monoxide Exposures --- United States, 2000--2009

MMWR-Morbidtiy and Mortality Weekly Report. A great resource for infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists, and health departments. Your tax dollars at work.
 
"starcrafttom" "Not to down play the need to be aware of the dangers of C02 poisoning but the report you linked states that only 500 deaths per year. Thats not a lot. deaths from obesity 280,000 per year."
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Public Health Service


"bicycle deaths 630"
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Traffic Safety Facts - 2009 Data (released in 2010, and still the most recent)


"heres a list of causes of death. Highest number on the list? self harm 29,350.."
Source: National Safety Council "estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau

Good points, all from government supported studies.
 
no problem here

I hope it will inform people of the dangers of carbon monoxide and take precautions - for instance, purchase or replace a detector and replace the battery on existing devices.
 
BTW - it's CO not CO2. CO2 (carbon dioxide) is something we exhale with each breath and it's relatively non toxic (until it displaces all the oxygen - like in a sealed car with a box of dry ice). CO (carbon MONoxide) come from burning fuels/materials without enough oxygen and it quite toxic. Carbon monoxide binds to the hemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying oxygen around. Carbon monoxide binds more strongly than oxygen so it can tie up the hemoglobin at relatively low concentrations.
 
Perhaps education is helping to lower the incidence of CO poisoning. (Hopefully). I think it certainly has in boats--especially decreasing Teak surfing and promoting safe generator use in houseboats.

The stats are subject to many errors; I suspect that the cases are under reported by a large amount--and that work is higher because of the requirements to report and follow up.

Recreational use is not a category, yet is a significant cause of CO poisoning; Camping, ice fishing, hunting, boating etc.
 
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