Carbon Monoxide Monitoring
Carbon Monoxide screening matters
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that you cannot see or smell but is dangerous to you and your family’s health. Exposure to CO reduces oxygen levels in your body.
Carbon monoxide monitoring is a simple test to do
CO validation is as easy as one, two three.
- Hold your breath
- Blow into the monitor
- Get your CO reading.
Reading your results:
- 0-5: Your recent level of exposure to carbon monoxide is low. 0-5 ppm shows little exposure to carbon monoxide in the last 24 hours.
- 6-10: You have had some recent exposure to carbon monoxide. 6-10 ppm indicates a smoker, or non-smoker, breathing in poor air quality or passive smoke.
- 11+: You have had some recent exposure to carbon monoxide: 11+ ppm indicates cigarette smoke is the most likely cause If a non-smoker, you may have been exposed through faulty gas appliances.
Exposure can be measured through a quick and simple breath test provided today by your healthcare professional. Cigarette smoke is the most likely explanation for a high reading. Reducing your exposure to cigarette smoke is the most important thing you can do for you and your family’s health. If you are not usually exposed to cigarette smoke, but you have a reading of 11 parts per million or more, you may have been exposed to CO through faulty gas appliances. ‘Parts per million’ is how we measure carbon monoxide on your breath.
It is important you seek advice from the gas safety advice line on 0800 300 363.
It is important to check that your heating and cooking appliances are safely installed. You may wish to buy a carbon monoxide alarm that will detect low levels of carbon monoxide in your home. Other explanations for a raised reading could be faulty car emissions, breathing in industrial chemicals or if you are lactose intolerant.
Contact numbers
We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak our Treating Tobacco Dependency Practitioner Garima Kashyap on 07818 047513 or email smokefree@dchft.nhs.uk
Useful websites
LiveWell Dorset: visit www.livewelldorset.co.uk on phone 0800 840 1628.
About this leaflet
Author: Heidi Croucher, Treating Tobacco Dependency Programme Manager
Written: February 2022
Updated and approved: February 2024
Review date: February 2027
Edition: v5
If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk
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