Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is created when fuels like coal, wood, oil and natural gas don't burn completely. Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas that you can't see or smell. If it builds up inside a home, other building or other enclosure like inside a camper or boat, it can poison or kill people and pets who breathe it. The Missouri Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program provides data on emergency department and hospital visits for carbon monoxide poisoning in Missouri.
What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that takes the place of oxygen in your blood when you breathe it. It stops your heart, brain and other organs from getting the oxygen they need and can cause a quick death. Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen to anyone, but it happens faster in young children, older adults, people with heart or lung problems, people at high altitudes, and people who already have high levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. It is also especially dangerous to unborn babies.
For carbon monoxide poisoning prevention tips, visit the DHSS Carbon Monoxide YouTube video playlist.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Data
The Missouri EPHT Program provides data on emergency department and hospital visits for carbon monoxide poisoning. You can search the data by age, sex, race and ethnicity.
Missouri EPHT - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Query
Search this query to find:
Annual numbers of emergency department visits and hospitalizations
Annual crude rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, per 100,000 residents
Other Data Sources
Other data sources share additional data on carbon monoxide poisoning:
Using the Data
Carbon monoxide poisoning data can help you:
- See if carbon monoxide poisonings are going up or down over time
- Direct resources to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
- See progress towards lowering carbon monoxide poisonings