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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2008.143222v1 99/9/1687    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Gulati, R. K. Articles by Duchin, J. S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gulati, R. K. Articles by Duchin, J. S. Related Collections Community Health Epidemiology Injury/Emergency Care/Violence Public Health Practice Other Race/Ethnicity Other Environment

Reena K. Gulati, MD, Tao Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, Neil B. Hampson, MD, Atar Baer, PhD, MPH, Dennis Shusterman, MD, MPH, Jamie R. Shandro, MD, MPH and Jeffrey S. Duchin, MD

At the time of the study, Reena K. Gulati, Tao Kwan-Gett, Atar Baer, and Jeffrey S. Duchin were with the Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section, Public Health—Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA. Reena K. Gulati was also with the Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Neil B. Hampson was with the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle. Dennis Shusterman was with the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, University of Washington, Seattle. Jamie R. Shandro was with the Division of Emergency Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle. Jeffrey S. Duchin was also with the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Reena K. Gulati, MD, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Box 356523, Seattle, WA 98195 (e-mail: rgulati{at}u.washington.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking on the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We investigated an outbreak of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning after a power outage to determine its extent, identify risk factors, and develop prevention measures.

Methods. We reviewed medical records and medical examiner reports of patients with CO poisoning or related symptoms during December 15 to 24, 2006. We grouped patients into households exposed concurrently to a single source of CO.

Results. Among 259 patients with CO poisoning, 204 cases were laboratory confirmed, 37 were probable, 10 were suspected, and 8 were fatal. Of 86 households studied, 58% (n = 50) were immigrant households from Africa (n = 21), Asia (n = 15), Latin America (n = 10), and the Middle East (n = 4); 34% (n = 29) were US-born households. One percent of households was European (n = 1), and the origin for 7% (n = 6) was unknown. Charcoal was the most common fuel source used among immigrant households (82%), whereas liquid fuel was predominant among US-born households (34%).

Conclusions. Educational campaigns to prevent CO poisoning should consider immigrants’ cultural practices and languages and specifically warn against burning charcoal indoors and incorrect ventilation of gasoline- or propane-powered electric generators.