Ghosh RE, Close R, McCann LJ, Crabbe H, Garwood K, Hansell AL, Leonardi G. J. Public Health (Oxford) 2015; 38(1): 76-83.
Affiliation
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, UK London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
BACKGROUND: Accidental non-fire-related (ANFR) carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a cause of fatalities and hospital admissions. This is the first study that describes the characteristics of ANFR CO hospital admissions in England.
METHODS: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) inpatient data for England between 2001 and 2010 were used. ANFR CO poisoning admissions were defined as any mention of ICD-10 code T58: toxic effect of CO and X47: accidental poisoning by gases or vapours, excluding ICD-10 codes potentially related to fires (X00-X09, T20-T32 and Y26).
RESULTS: There were 2463 ANFR CO admissions over the 10-year period (annual rate: 0.49/100 000); these comprised just under half (48.7%) of all non-fire-related (accidental and non-accidental) CO admissions. There was seasonal variability, with more admissions in colder winter months. Higher admission rates were observed in the north of England. Just over half (53%) of ANFR admissions were male, and the highest rates of ANFR admissions were in those aged >80 years.
CONCLUSION: The burden of ANFR CO poisoning is preventable. The results of this study suggest an appreciable burden of CO and highlight differences that may aid targeting of public health interventions.