Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is really a potentially fatal condition caused by breathing carbon monoxide, which is really a colorless and odorless gas produced by the incomplete burning of natural gas, propane, gasoline, kerosene, coal, wood, smoking tobacco, other plant matter, or any other fuel containing carbon. It may also result from breathing the vapors of methylene chloride, a chemical found in paint thinners, degreasers, and solvents.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is really a substance that has usually been present in Earth's atmosphere in low concentrations; it could be produced by natural processes as well as by human activity. Most of the naturally occurring CO in the atmosphere comes from volcanic eruptions; however, some is also generated by wildfires.
The human body itself produces small quantities of CO as a byproduct of certain metabolic processes. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when fuels or other materials containing carbon are burned without adequate ventilation. The gas is hard to detect with out unique equipment because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
Individuals may not realize they have been exposed until they begin to feel dizzy or headachy, or have trouble breathing. At concentrations of CO as low as 100 parts per million (ppm), individuals who are otherwise healthy will feel fatigued, and people with heart conditions will experience chest pains. At higher concentrations, people begin to experience disturbances of vision, loss of memory, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and eventually loss of consciousness and death. Carbon monoxide has a history as a method of deliberate killing; it was utilized by the Nazis before and during World War II (1939-1945) to kill people with mental and physical disabilities and some concentration camp prisoners.
As of 2008, Illinois, North Carolina, and some other states still permit the use of carbon monoxide chambers to kill unwanted pets. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulates that outdoor concentrations of CO should be no higher than 9 parts per million (ppm) for periods of eight hours or longer, or 35 parts per million for one hour. There are no official standards for indoor air. For purposes of comparison, here are some typical levels of carbon monoxide in numerous locations:
The CDC estimates that there are about 2,500 deaths each year in the United States attributed to CO poisoning. About 2,000 of these are suicides, a few are murders, and 500 are unintentional. The highest rates of unintentional poisonings are in cold or mountainous parts of the country. Numerous of the unintentional deaths involve automobile exhaust; other leading causes of unintentional deaths are coal, wood, or kerosene stoves and fireplaces; burning of natural gas leaking from a pipeline; combustion of gasoline, acetylene, or utility gas; and industrial sources. Some individuals are more susceptible to CO poisoning than other people. They include:
The fundamental cause of CO poisoning is loss of oxygen to body tissues. When a person breathes in carbon monoxide, the gas binds to hemoglobin, the red pigment in red blood cells that transports oxygen to body tissues. When the hemoglobin becomes filled with CO, it cannot carry oxygen to other parts of the body. The heart and the central nervous system are particularly vulnerable to loss of their oxygen supply.
If the individual goes away from the source of the carbon monoxide, it'll take about 3 hours to get rid of half the CO remaining in the body through the lungs. Giving supplemental oxygen cuts the time to thirty minutes to an hour. Common sources of CO include:
The diagnosis of CO poisoning isn't usually obvious simply because a few of the early symptoms resemble those of the flu or other illnesses caused by viruses. If the individual shows signs of smoke inhalation from a fire or can give a history that suggests recent exposure to CO, the doctor will take a sample of blood to be tested for carbon monoxide levels. In some cases memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, or other psychiatric symptoms are useful diagnostic clues.
Emergency treatment of CO poisoning involves removing the individual from the source of the carbon monoxide as quickly as feasible and administering 100 percent oxygen through a face mask. If essential, the person may also be put on an artificial respirator to help them breathe. In severe instances, the patient might be moved to a hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) chamber. Hyperbaric indicates that the oxygen in the chamber is at twice or three times regular atmospheric pressure. Treatment in an HBO speeds up the removal of CO from the body, sometimes bringing it down is as little as fifteen to twenty minutes.
The prognosis of CO poisoning depends on numerous factors, including the patient's age, presence of heart or lung disorders, smoking habits, length of exposure to the carbon monoxide, and also the concentration of the carbon monoxide that was inhaled. Most people recover totally with proper treatment; nevertheless, some suffer lifelong memory loss, difficulty thinking, or other neurological or psychiatric problems. In general, patients who have gone into coma or whose heart has stopped temporarily have poorer outcomes.
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