Carbon monoxide is an odourless gas formed by burning carbon or organic fuels in a limited supply of oxygen. The majority of cases of CO toxicity are due to:
- car exhausts
- combustion of fuel in an inadequate flue - for example, a blocked domestic heater
Cyanosis does not occur as the carboxyhaemoglobin maintains a deceptive pink colour in the skin and mucosae.
- chronic exposure to lower CO concentrations may lead to the symptoms and signs of influenza or food poisoning, exposure to high concentrations of CO leads to collapse and death within minutes
- what appears to be classic food poisoning of a whole family may in fact be the result of CO poisoning. Prolonged exposure to concentrations that produce only minor symptoms may, in some cases, be associated with lasting neurological effects such as difficulties in concentrating and emotional lability. Complaints about such problems should alert the doctor to the possibility of CO poisoning
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning (1)
- is an abundance of basic science and preclinical and clinical research supporting the use of HBOT for acute CO poisoning
- HBOT at a dose of 2.5-3.0 atm absolute is a necessary treatment for this toxidrome
Reference.
- Sethuraman, K, Thom, SR. Hyperbaric oxygen should be used for carbon monoxide poisoning. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2023; 89( 3): 939-941.