Rapid determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood by Oximeter

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 133; no. 1; pp. 179 - 181
• Main Authors: Brehmer, Cornelia, Iten, Peter X.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 23.04.2003; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Carboxyhemoglobin; Carboxyhemoglobin - analysis; Forensic Medicine - methods; Forensic sciences; Humans; Medical sciences; Methods; Miscellaneous; Oximeter; Oximetry; Post-mortem blood; Toxicology; Oximeter; Carboxyhemoglobin; Post-mortem blood; Human; Blood gas; Oxymetry; Rapid technique; Toxicological exploration; Postmortem; Determination; Blood; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/S0379-0738(03)00066-5

Different methods to determine carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in blood are described in the literature. In our laboratory three methods to analyze COHb in post-mortem blood samples were compared: the spectrophotometric method of Maehly, a gas chromatographic method with a thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) and the Oximeter. Several COHb containing blood samples of deceased persons were analyzed. Results of all three methods were comparable for low concentrations (ca. 10% COHb) as well as for high concentrations (ca. 80% COHb) regardless of the viscosity of the blood samples. The advantages of the Oximeter when compared to Maehly’s method and GC-TCD are extreme short time of analysis (<1 min), very small blood volume required (<0.1 ml) and easy handling. In our opinion application of the Oximeter is not limited to analyses of blood samples from living persons (e.g. in clinical toxicology); it can as well be used for the determination of COHb in post-mortem blood samples. Hence it is a useful and time saving tool in forensic toxicology.