Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) Clinical Evidence Monograph

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas generated from incomplete combustion and is one of the most important international causes of toxicological morbidity and mortality.¹ In 2012 the World Health Organization reported that Europe had an annual death rate of 2.2 per 100,000 people from CO poisoning. This CO mortality rate can be compared to the mortality rates for HIV/AIDS, skin cancer or alcohol abuse (2.0, 2.1 and 2.6 per 100k people respectively), all of which have been regarded as public health issues. In some countries such as…