![]() ![]() A study from Malawi found evidence for chronic CO poisoning (mean carboxyhaemoglobin (CO-Hb) 5.8%) in children under 5 years old. In developing countries, many people use biomass fuels for cooking outdoors and even indoors resulting in a high burden of CO exposure. Ĭombustion of biomass fuels in households and smoking are major sources of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure in populations worldwide. Recent data show that in Africa a substantial burden of COPD – ranking 3 rd in the causes of mortality worldwide – exists with major social and economic impacts. Symptoms like shortness of breath or chronic coughing can have major impact on daily life and even more importantly, on the ability to work and to generate income. Typical threats to lung health in Africa are exposure to dusts and fumes originating from cooking indoors or cooking on an open fire outdoors, exposure to dusts and fumes at work or cigarette smoking causing diseases like chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Urban as well as rural populations in Tanzania are frequently exposed to hazards with negative impact on lung health. The level of CO in the blood is more dependent on shared exposure to sources of CO with the type of housing and type of cooking fuel as most relevant factors, and less on person-individual risk factors or activities. High levels of SpCO indicate a relevant burden of carbon monoxide poisoning in the local population. The findings demonstrate a high burden of chronic respiratory symptoms which also cause socioeconomic impact. urban setting as protective factors against high SpCO. Multivariate analysis confirmed cooking in a separate room (as compared to cooking outside) and living in a rural vs. Sex or the activity of cooking itself was not associated with a difference in SpCO. Participants from households where cooking takes place in a separate room had the lowest SpCO as compared to cooking outside or cooking in a shared room inside (6% vs. Cooking with wood, particularly using a stove, resulted in highest SpCO (median 11.5%). Participants cooking with gas or electricity had the lowest SpCO (median 5%), followed by participants cooking with charcoal (median 7%). The median SpCO was 7% (IQR 4–13, range 2–31%) among all participants without active smoking status ( N = 808). ![]() ![]() 38% of participants reported some degree of chronic shortness of breath and 26% felt limited in their daily activities or at work by this symptom. Nine hundred and ninety-seven participants were included in the analysis, the median age of participants was 46 years (49% male). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. Saturation of peripheral blood with carbon monoxide (SpCO) was measured transcutaneously and non-invasively in participants using a modified pulse oxymeter indicative of CO poisoning. Methodsĭata from the Tanzanian Lung Health study, a cross-sectional study on lung health among outpatients and visitors to an urban as well as a rural hospital in Tanzania, was analyzed to describe respiratory symptoms and functional limitations. Few data are available on carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in sub-Saharan Africa and existing data is derived from CO in ambient air, but not from biomarkers in the blood. The burden of chronic respiratory symptoms and respiratory functional limitations is underestimated in Africa.
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