This project serves to expand the successful intervention that was developed using a standardised methodology at University Hospital Aintree (UHA) in 2021/22.
The methodology and outcomes were published in a medical peer-reviewed journal. The reviewers were complimentary of the work that showed substantial benefit in awareness and consideration of CO exposure in patients that attended the Emergency Department with symptoms that could be caused by exposure to CO.
It was suggested that the work be taken forward in a number of hospitals to establish whether the results could be replicated, and to establish if there was regional variation.
Therefore, this piece of work is being undertaken to simultaneously develop the education of junior doctors, and utilise the specific intervention of tagging patient notes to prompt use of the CO COMA acronym, across hospitals within the Gas Distribution Network regions and raising awareness amongst healthcare professionals of CO.
The team at UHA are leading the project, however, the same data collection and education will take place at other hospitals.
The UHA team will be responsible for the final analysis of the data, development of a national rollout of the intervention, report writing, healthcare focussed peer-reviewed paper, a policy paper and dissemination of the work.
