Masimo Corporation (Masimo) announced that a new peer-reviewed clinical study published in this month's Inhalation Toxicology demonstrates that Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry (SpCO) provides reliable measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) in the blood that facilitate fast, accurate diagnosis of CO poisoning in pre-hospital emergency and rescue environments.
Carbon monoxide – often called the silent killer – is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and deadly gas that is extremely difficult to detect. Prior to Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry, an invasive blood draw followed by laboratory blood gas analysis was the only reliable method for diagnosing CO poisoning. Without immediate access to complex and costly laboratory blood analyzers to measure CO in the blood (COHb), emergency first responders were at a critical disadvantage—unable to confirm the diagnosis of CO poisoning necessary to initiate appropriate, often lifesaving treatment. Today, the portable, handheld Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter provides an accurate and noninvasive way to detect elevated CO levels in the bloodstream in just seconds—allowing emergency first responders to quickly and easily diagnose CO poisoning on-the-scene and initiate prompt, possibly lifesaving treatment.
Dr. Piatkowski and colleagues at the University Hospital Aachen (Germany) used the Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter to measure SpCO in 20 patients suspected of CO poisoning who were admitted to the burn center and in five healthy volunteers (used as a control group). Comparing SpCO measurements to COHb measurements obtained hourly via invasive blood samples processed using three different laboratory analyzers, researchers found that the mean error of the three different blood gas analyzers was just 1% lower than noninvasive Pulse CO-Oximetry. The SpCO measurements from Pulse CO-Oximetry resulted in a mean error of approximately 3.15% over a COHb range of 1% to 38%, while the invasive COHb measurements from three different blood analyzers resulted in a mean error of 2.4%. Researchers concluded that Pulse CO-Oximetry “represents a reliable measurement technique that is easy to handle and could facilitate the early diagnosis of CO intoxication in pre-hospital rescue conditions.”
Masimo Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs, Dr. Michael O’Reilly, stated, “This study adds to the compelling evidence base showing that Masimo Pulse CO-Oximetry SpCO provides accurate and reliable measurements that enable clinicians and first responders to make earlier and better decisions. This study is also the first to show that the differences in COHb measurement from different laboratory analyzers are similar to the differences between laboratory analyzer measurement and noninvasive Pulse CO-Oximetry measurement.”