The main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, mental confusion, chest pain or loss of consciousness, for example, which can be life-threatening, depending on the amount of gas inhaled and exposure time.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a type of toxic gas that has no smell or color, released when burning fuels, such as gas, oil, wood or coal, and therefore it is more common for poisonings to occur in winter, when heaters or fireplaces are used to try to heat the environment inside the house.
Carbon monoxide poisoning most often leads to loss of consciousness before the person realizes that they are being poisoned, however, it is important to be aware of the symptoms and go to the emergency room immediately so that treatment can begin. as quickly as possible, as it can cause respiratory arrest and put lives at risk.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are:
- Headache that gets worse;
- Dizziness;
- Weakness or tiredness;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Rapid heartbeat;
- Shortness of breathe;
- Chest pain;
- General malaise;
- Mental confusion or disorientation;
- Loss of motor coordination;
- Difficulty or inability to perform voluntary movements;
- Blindness due to damage to the cerebral cortex.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are more intense in those who are closer to the source of carbon monoxide production.
Furthermore, the longer you breathe the gas, the more intense the symptoms will be, until eventually the person loses consciousness and passes out, which can happen up to 2 hours after exposure begins.
Even when there is a low concentration of carbon monoxide in the air, prolonged exposure can result in symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, mood changes and loss of coordination.
What does carbon monoxide do to the body?
When carbon monoxide is breathed in, it reaches the lungs and is then diluted in the blood, where it mixes with hemoglobin, an important component of the blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen to different organs.
When this happens, hemoglobin becomes called carboxyhemoglobin and is no longer capable of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the organs.
This is because carbon monoxide has a 220% greater affinity for binding to hemoglobin than oxygen, even when the person is exposed to low amounts of carbon monoxide for prolonged periods.
As carboxyhemoglobin levels increase in the body, blood vessels in the brain dilate and blood flow in the coronary arteries increases.
Therefore, if exposure to carbon monoxide is very prolonged or intense, it can cause respiratory arrest and cardiac arrhythmia, which can put life at risk.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning is made in the hospital by the general practitioner through assessment of symptoms and exposure to burning gas, oil, wood or coal.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor must order a blood test called arterial blood gas analysis with co-oximetry, which measures the levels of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Find out how arterial blood gas analysis is performed.
Values greater than 20% in adults and 15% in children generally indicate significant intoxication, which needs to be treated in the hospital with oxygen administration until carboxyhemoglobin values are below 10%.
Other tests that may be ordered by the doctor are a complete blood count, electrolyte levels, creatinine, troponin and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), as well as an electrocardiogram, chest X-ray or computed tomography of the brain.
These tests are important to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, meningitis, or alcohol or opioid poisoning.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning is carried out in the hospital by the general practitioner with oxygen therapy, which consists of inhaling oxygen through a nasal catheter or face mask. In some cases, mechanical ventilation may be indicated.
If the person is unconscious or has mental confusion, low blood pressure or accelerated heartbeat, associated with high levels of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, treatment is carried out urgently in the hyperbaric chamber. Understand how the hyperbaric chamber works.
How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
Although poisoning by this type of gas is difficult to identify, as it has no smell or taste, there are some tips that can prevent it from happening. Some are:
- Install a carbon monoxide detector indoors;
- Have heating appliances outside the house, especially those that run on gas, wood or oil;
- Avoid using flame heaters inside rooms;
- Always keep a window slightly open when using a flame heater inside the house;
- Always open the garage door before starting the car.
The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is greater in babies, children and the elderly, however, it can happen to anyone, even the fetus in the case of a pregnant woman, as the fetus’s cells absorb carbon monoxide more quickly than those of an adult.
