Abstract

According to a study by the Québec poison-control centre (CAPQ) dating from 1999, 8% of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning cases are caused by the use of devices and small tools driven by internal combustion motors. The study demonstrates that this use, involving workplaces as well as the commercial environment, is often daily and that its harmful effects affect not only users but also people in the immediate surroundings. Based on this observation, more detailed research is necessary in order to develop an overall and up-to-date picture of the situation. From data collected from medical files from CAPQ, the coroner’s office and hospitals with a hyperbaric chamber (because these devices are used to treat people with CO poisoning), the scientists provide data in this study on motor-driven devices and small tools that cause CO poisoning, as well as on the main causes of poisoning.