Vital signs  A little while back, MedGadget reports a new device
for noninvasively measuring carbon monoxide levels in blood, the
Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximeter. This is potentially great
news, as carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms are vague and often
attributed to other causes, especially when a clear history of
exposure isn't available.  Also, in the past, to confirm carbon
monoxide, arterial or venous blood had to be drawn and sent to
the lab, costing valuable time and delaying therapy. Worse, the
standard noninvasive test of blood oxygenation, the pulse
oximeter, can't distinguish between oxygenated hemoglobin and
CO-hemoglobin -- sometimes fooling docs (or, let's say, med
students) into thinking oxygenation was adequate (ie, the
pulseox could read 95% saturation, even if it was 80% HbO2 and
15% Hb-CO.  So, this new device should save lives and improve
outcomes. But don't take my word for it, read the breathless
press release:  Now, with Masimo Rainbow SET, Masimo ushers a
new era where carbon monox