Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Author: Jeffrey T. Chapman, MD
Editorial changes - 2006-01-30
Author information and module status
Prevention
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Hospitalization
  • Hospitalize patients with severe neurologic-, cardiac-, or exposure-related disorders or with severely elevated HbCO.
  • Consider hospitalizing patients with mild symptoms or minimally elevated HbCO.

Hospitalize patients with severe neurologic-, cardiac-, or exposure-related disorders or with severely elevated HbCO. C

  • Hospitalize patients with:
    • Significantly elevated HbCO (greater than 25%) for appropriate oxygen therapy
    • Symptoms attributable to CO poisoning other than nausea for appropriate normobaric or hypobaric oxygen therapy
    • Dysrhythmia or cardiac ischemia attributable to CO toxicity
    • CO exposure-related injuries such as burns and trauma
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Consider hospitalizing patients with mild symptoms or minimally elevated HbCO. BC

  • Although controversial, treat asymptomatic patients or those with only nausea or mildly elevated HbCO (less than 25%) with 100% supplemental oxygen via a nonrebreathing facemask for 6 hours and reassess.
  • If symptoms resolve and HbCO returns to normal, consider discharging the patient; if symptoms do not resolve or if HbCO does not return to normal, hospitalize the patient and continue oxygen therapy.
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FAQs
Carlos Scheinkestel, MD, editorial consultant, has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations. Jeffrey T. Chapman, MD has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations.

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