# Carbon monoxide poisoning

carbon monoxide poisoning

| Subclass of | intoxication, chemical hazard  |
| Get use | charcoal-burning suicide  |
| Has cause | carbon monoxide  |
| Health specialty | emergency medicine  |
| First aid measures | artificial respiration, eye frostbite protocol, skin frostbite protocol, move to fresh air  |
| Route of administration | inhalation administration, eye contact, skin absorption  |
| Uses | carboxyhemoglobin  |
| Handled, mitigated, or managed by | carbon monoxide detector, ventilation, exhaust system  |
| WordLift URL |   |

**Carbon monoxide poisoning** typically dey occur from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms often be described as "flu-like" den commonly dey include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, den confusion. Large exposures fi result in loss of consciousness, arrhythmias, seizures, anaa death. De classically described "cherry red skin" rarely dey occur. Long-term complications fi include chronic fatigue, trouble plus memory, den movement problems. According to de Threshold Limit Value – Time Weighted Average, humans dey tolerate 25 mL of CO/m3 for 8 hours/day for 40 hour work week.

CO be a colorless den odorless gas wich be initially non-irritating. E be produced during incomplete burning of organic matter. Dis fi occur in cooking equipment, motor vehicles, anaa heaters wich use carbon-based fuels. Carbon monoxide primarily dey cause adverse effects by combining plus hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin (symbol COHb anaa HbCO), wich dey prevent de blood from carrying oxygen den expelling carbon dioxide as carbaminohemoglobin. Additionally, chaw oda hemoproteins such as myoglobin, Cytochrome P450, den mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase be affected, along plus oda metallic den non-metallic cellular targets.

Diagnosis typically be based on a HbCO level of more dan 3% among nonsmokers den more dan 10% among smokers. De biological threshold give carboxyhemoglobin tolerance typically be accepted to be 15% COHb, wey dey mean toxicity consistently be observed at levels in excess of dis concentration. De FDA previously set a threshold of 14% COHb insyd certain clinical trials wey dey evaluate de therapeutic potential of carbon monoxide. In general, 30% COHb be considered severe carbon monoxide poisoning. Na de highest reported non-fatal carboxyhemoglobin level be 73% COHb.

Efforts to prevent poisoning dey include carbon monoxide detectors, proper venting of gas appliances, keeping chimneys clean, den keeping exhaust systems of vehicles in good repair. Treatment of poisoning generally dey consist of giving 100% oxygen along plus supportive care. Dis procedure often be carried out til symptoms be absent wey de HbCO level be less dan 3%/10%.

Carbon monoxide poisoning be relatively common, wey dey result in more dan 20,000 emergency room visits a year insyd de United States. E be de most common type of fatal poisoning insyd chaw countries. Insyd de United States, non-fire related cases result in more dan 400 deaths a year. Poisonings dey occur more often insyd de winter, particularly from de use of portable generators during power outages. De toxic effects of CO be known since ancient history. De discovery say hemoglobin be affected by CO emerge plus an investigation by James Watt den Thomas Beddoes into de therapeutic potential of hydrocarbonate insyd 1793, wey later confirmed by Claude Bernard between 1846 den 1857.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Carbon Monoxide – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic
* International Programme on Chemical Safety (1999). Carbon Monoxide, Environmental Health Criteria 213, Geneva: WHO