Carbon monoxide

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Carbon monoxide

Home Treatment:

Get the individual out into fresh air and ventilate the area. Call an ambulance immediately. Artificial breathing may need to be administered if the individual has stopped breathing.

PREVENTION

Install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your residence, and an additional detector near any major gas-burning appliances (such as a furnace or water heater).
Conduct regular maintenance and inspection of gas-burning equipment in the home.

Before Calling Emergency:

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Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
how long they may have been exposed to the carbon monoxide, if known

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

Poison control will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See poison control centers for the national telephone number.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following may be performed:

oxygen will be administered
vital signs will be monitored
various medications may be administered if needed
hyperbaric oxygen therapy at an appropriate facility

Expectations (prognosis):

If the individual recovers, it will be slowly. Depending on the exposure levels of carbon monoxide and the time of exposure, permanent brain damage may occur. If the individual still has symptoms of impaired mental ability after two weeks, the likelihood of complete recovery is not very good. Even if an individual is symptom free for a while, impaired mental ability can reappear within the first 1-2 weeks.