141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

279475
Carbon monoxide detector use: Results of a randomized controlled trial in a pediatric emergency department


Monday, November 4, 2013

Lara B. McKenzie, PhD, MA, Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Kristin Roberts, MS, MPH, The Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Insitute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Erica Fletcher, MPH, Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
R. Dawn Comstock, PhD, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO
Soledad A. Fernandez, PhD, M.Sc., Center for Biostatistics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Mahmoud Abdel-Rasoul, MS, MPH, Center for Biostatistics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Marcel J Casavant, MD, The Ohio State University Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Leslie Mihalov, MD, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Objective: The effects of a brief intervention on parents' carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning prevention knowledge and behaviors were evaluated in a pediatric emergency department serving predominately low-income, urban families.

Methods/Approach: A randomized, controlled trial of a brief intervention with 2-week and 6-month follow-up home observations was conducted with n=299 parents of children ≤18 years of age. The intervention group participants received a 14-page educational tool containing theory-based safety messages based on the precaution adoption process model and a CO detector. Control group participants received a one-page flyer on CO poisoning prevention (usual care).

Results: CO detector safety knowledge scores increased more in intervention group participants (from enrollment to 2-week follow-up home visit). Intervention group participants were more likely than the control group participants to self-report correct/safe CO detector use and to have observed correct/safe use at follow-up home visits.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate the effectiveness of a brief intervention on increasing CO safety knowledge and correct/safe detector use when delivered in an emergency department. Future iterations of this intervention should focus on increasing battery replacement and expanding the delivery to the community setting.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe the effects of a brief intervention on parents' carbon monoxide poisoning prevention knowledge and behaviors.

Keyword(s): Injury Prevention, Emergency Department/Room

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract Author on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Principal Investigator on this RCT.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3200.0: Emergency medical services and preparedness