Measurement of exhaled breath carbon monoxide in clinical practice: A study of levels in Central Pennsylvania community members.

The sample was a convenience sample collected at public health fairs in a Central Pennsylvania area, so it may not represent clinic patients or other communities. Smoking status and exposures were self-reported, and the study did not ask about marijuana use or detailed smoking history. The questionnaire was short because it was designed for quick collection at a health fair, which limited the information available for interpretation. Six nonsmoking other tobacco users were excluded from the smoker and nonsmoker comparisons. The study compared groups but did not show that any exposure caused a higher eBCO level. The study did not measure asthma, hemolytic anemia, or other medical causes of raised eBCO.

Do not conclude that a 7-9 ppm reading in a self-reported nonsmoker is explained by secondhand smoke or other environmental exposures. The study found no significant differences in reported demographics or exposures between nonsmokers with 7-9 ppm and those with 0-6 ppm.