Lethal levels of CO may be reached in 10 minutes in an unventilated garage. CO has an affinity for hemoglobin that is 250 times greater than oxygen. It shifts the oxygen saturation curve to the left and oxygen is only released at low O2 tensions. The CO dissolved in plasma has toxicity 3. CO binds to other heme compounds such as myoglobin, catalases, cytochrome systems, and oxidases.
Toxicity is secondary to hypoxia, reoxygenation toxicity, a d oxygen radical formation.
Fetus' have an increased risk of toxicity because the oxygen saturation curve is already shifted to the left of the mother's curve. Clinical Symptoms 1. The presentation may be similar to a viral illness and because the incidence is the highest in the winter, the diagnosis may be missed. Tachypnea, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, tinnatus, decreased hearing, visual changes, difficulty in thinking, and loss of consciousness. 3.May have erythema of the skin 4.