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Carbon monoxide & pulse oximeters

PostPosted: Sat Nov 18, 2023 3:55 pm
by SemiSalt
I speak here from a position of ignorance. In the aviation video linked below, a pilot assured himself that his oxygen levels were fine with an oximeter and passed out due to CO shortly thereafter. His autopilot kept the plane level and the unpiloted descent to the ground resulted in a survivable skidding stop.

It turns out oximeters can not tell if your hemoglobin is saturated with CO or O2. I could easily have made the same mistake.

https://youtu.be/6ebhig-vr9o?si=tay7sPNzkZK4pP-F

Re: Carbon monoxide & pulse oximeters

PostPosted: Sat Nov 18, 2023 10:48 pm
by BeauV
This is really REALLY interesting information. I'd no idea that the instruments couldn't differentiate between CO and O2. Thanks!!

Re: Carbon monoxide & pulse oximeters

PostPosted: Tue Nov 21, 2023 12:01 pm
by kimbottles
SemiSalt wrote:I speak here from a position of ignorance. In the aviation video linked below, a pilot assured himself that his oxygen levels were fine with an oximeter and passed out due to CO shortly thereafter. His autopilot kept the plane level and the unpiloted descent to the ground resulted in a survivable skidding stop.

It turns out oximeters can not tell if your hemoglobin is saturated with CO or O2. I could easily have made the same mistake.

https://youtu.be/6ebhig-vr9o?si=tay7sPNzkZK4pP-F


This is scary!