The Duxbury Fire Department has recently taken delivery of a Masimo RAD-57 carbon monoxide oximeter. The cutting edge technology contained in this device allows firefighters to easily identify patients that have been exposed to carbon monoxide by measuring the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood. This device is the first to be purchased in Southeastern Massachusetts. The Town of Duxbury and the Department are committed to providing the best pre-hospital care in the region and believe this device is a step toward that goal. This purchase also dovetails with the recently passed Nicole’s Law which requires CO detectors in your home.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that kills or permanently harms thousands of people each year. It is the LEADING cause of accidental poisonings in the US. Carbon monoxide poisoning has been impossible to determine accurately outside the hospital since CO blood tests were the only way to measure CO in the blood. With symptoms similar to fatigue or flu, CO poisoning has been easy to miss. Now the Duxbury Fire Department has the ability to eliminate the guess work non-invasively. The ability to quickly and conveniently obtain accurate measurements in any environment can lead to informed and timely treatment decisions, improving patient outcomes, saving lives, and reducing unnecessary costs and still providing the best pre-hospital care to the
people we serve.
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