injuries and poisoning
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Introduction
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when many materials are burned and can be toxic when breathed in large amounts Carbon monoxide poisoning is common. Symptoms may include headache, nausea, drowsiness, and confusion. The diagnosis is based on blood tests. Carbon monoxide detectors, adequate venting of furnaces and other sources of indoor combustion, and not allowing a car to run in an enclosed space (for example, a closed garage) help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Treatment includes fresh air and high concentrations of oxygen, sometimes using a hyperbaric (high-pressure) oxygen chamber. (See also Overview of Poisoning .) Inhaled carbon monoxide attaches to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that gives blood its red color and enables it to carry oxygen. Carbon monoxide prevents the blood from carrying oxygen so the body's tissues do not get enough oxygen. Small amounts are not usually harmful, but poisoning occurs if levels of carbon monoxide in the blood become too high. Carbon monoxide is breathed out of the lungs and disappears from the blood after several hours. Smoke from fires commonly contains carbon monoxide, particularly when combustion of fuels is incomplete. If improperly vented, automobiles, furnaces, hot water heaters, gas heaters, kerosene heaters, and stoves (including wood stoves and stoves with charcoal briquettes) can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. For example, when the exhaust pipe of a running car is blocked by piled-up snow or another object, carbon monoxide levels rise inside the car rapidly and can be fatal. Inhaling tobacco smoke produces carbon monoxide in the blood, but usually not enough to result in symptoms of poisoning. Carbon monoxide is one of the most common causes of poisoning deaths. 