Carbon monoxide poisoning

Hb (Haemoglobin) has an affinity for  CO (carbon monoxide) more than 200 times than for oxygen . When CO is inhaled , it readily reacts with Hb to form COHb (Carbonmonoxyhaemoglobin ) . Again it displaces oxygen from the Hb , hence ,  body cells suffer from oxygen starvation and the condition is termed as CO Poisoning.

   Generally , about 15 gm of Hb per 100 ml  blood transport about 19.80 ml of oxygen. It means , 97 to 98 percent of oxygen is transported by Hb of RBC of blood .

Heavy smoking is resulted in CO Poisoning as the blood of the person is saturated in CO .

• Frequent smoker.                    COHb level

Presmoking.                              4.2%

Postsmoking.                            8.6%

• Heavy smoker.                         21.8% -24.2%

• Cigar smoker.                           13.0%-38.6%

• Hookah/waterpipe smoker.    10.1 % +/- 2.5%

Source:

A.Dorey, P.Scheerlinek , H.Nguyen, T.Albertson; Military Medcine,Vol 185 ,issue 1-2,Jan-Feb 2020,p e61-e67.

https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz280

Other sources of CO is partial oxidation of carbon containing componds ,vehicle exhaust , clooged chimny ,wood burning fireplace ,gas burners , stove etc.

Symptoms

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Vertigo

• Irritation

• Impaired reaction timing

• Lightheadedness

• Memory impairment

• Tinnitus

• Nausea

• Weakness

• Coouding of conseiousness

• Rhino-cochlear-vestibular symptom

• Coma

• Asphyxiation

• Even death

Actually due to lack of oxygen in blood cellular respiratory chain impaired , tissue of myocardium and brain get injured.

What to do :

The sufferer needs to be treated with pure oxygen-carbondioxide mixture to have a very high pO2 level as early as possible .(15L/min oxygen through a reservoir mask ).It is continued until COHb level dropped to normal value (<3%).

Source:

L.Eichhom, M Thudium, B Juttner, The Diagnosis and Treatment of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning;Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018 Dec;115(51-52):863-870.