Carbon monoxide poisoning in emergency medicine

Carbon monoxide intoxication plays a major part in the emergency treatment of inhalational poisoning. The color- and odorless gas is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon containing materials. Major sources for carbon monoxide poisoning are motor vehicle exhaust fumes, poorly functioning heating systems and smoke inhalation in a fire. Carbon monoxide toxicity results from a combination of tissue hypoxia and direct carbon monoxide-mediated damage at the cellular level. The clinical symptoms of an intoxication are nonspecific. The diagnosis is therefore based on amnestic evaluation of a possible exposure to a dangerous environment and on elevated carboxyhaemoglobin levels. Therapeutic ma-nagement focusses mainly on terminating hypoxia and related acidosis.