CO modelling project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improved modelling of factors affecting carbon monoxide (CO) uptake and elimination by humans
IRAS ID
253541
Contact name
Ben Croxford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Carbon monoxide poisoning is an important issue around the world. The CO usually comes from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and is hard for humans to detect due to its colourless and odourless characteristics. CO is also generated by the body and is used as a neuro-transmitter in deficient concentrations. At high concentrations, CO is lethal to humans.
Many researchers have tried to find the best equations or models that could estimate the CO uptake and elimination in the human body. The most well-known model is the Coburn-Foster-Kane(CFK) equation, which was created in 1965 and still believed to have an acceptable prediction of the COHb in the human body. Moreover, around 40 years later, Bruce and Bruce built a model called a multi-compartment model that has an acceptable prediction and contains more factors that relate to CO uptake, distribution and elimination.
However, those two models do not include all of the factors that are reported to be related to CO uptake and elimination; for example, one key omission is that the models are generally based on data gathered from healthy subjects. There are still several factors that could be considered in the model, such as height, age, disease and so on. In the study, we use the secondary data from a lung function laboratory at Royal Berkshire Hospital to simulate the multicompartment model and improve the model with the factors that may be related to CO uptake and elimination.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0133
Date of REC Opinion
2 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion