Fast facts about carbon monoxide booklet

Carbon monoxide exposure kills and injures thousands of children and families each year. Known effective countermeasures to detect CO and reduce CO poisoning exist, yet little is known about how best to increase CO alarm use, especially for low income families. In an attempt to bridge this gap, Fast Facts about Carbon Monoxide was developed to help parents understand the dangers of CO and the importance of proper CO alarm use and maintenance. To determine its effectiveness, Fast Facts about Carbon Monoxide is being delivered as part of a randomized controlled trial of 300 families in a pediatric ED. Families enrolled in the study complete a survey on a tablet computer in the ED and are randomized to the intervention group (receives Fast Facts about Carbon Monoxide and a CO alarm) or the control group (receives flier on CO poisoning). Follow-up home visits are conducted 2-weeks and 6-months later. Preliminary results show that 83% of parents read the tool and 88% found the information helpful. The mean knowledge score increased from 68% at enrollment to 80% at the 2-week home visit, compared to only a 5% increase in the control group. At enrollment only 7% of the intervention participants reported having at least one working CO alarm by the sleeping areas (recommend practice) placing these participants in the highest division of the PAPM. At the 2-week home visit, 40% had reached the highest PAPM stage (self-report) and 45% had correctly installed the CO alarm by a sleeping area (observed).