Infants, people with heart or lung disease, or those with anemia may be more seriously affected.
Emergency room physicians have the most experience diagnosing and treating CO poisoning.
Although most CO poisoning is acute, or sudden, it is possible to suffer from chronic CO poisoning. This condition exists when a person is exposed to low levels of the gas over a period of days to months.
Anyone who is exposed to CO will become sick, and the entire body is involved in CO poisoning.
Little is known about chronic CO poisoning, and it is often misdiagnosed.
The symptoms of CO poisoning and the speed with which they appear depend on the concentration of CO in the air and the rate and efficiency with which a person breathes.
Taken with other symptoms of CO poisoning, COHb levels of over 25% in healthy individuals, over 15% in patients with a history of heart or lung disease, and over 10% in pregnant women usually indicate the need for hospitalization.
The speed and degree of recovery from CO poisoning depends on the length and duration of exposure to the gas.
Under these circumstances, one or more persons suffering from the symptoms listed above strongly suggests CO poisoning.
Stopping smoking. Smokers have less tolerance to environmental CO.
People such as underground parking garage attendants who are exposed to car exhausts in a confined area are more likely to be poisoned by CO. Firemen also run a higher risk of inhaling CO.
In some cases, the skin, mucous membranes, and nails of a person with CO poisoning are cherry red or bright pink.
CO Carbon monoxide is combined with hemoglobin and carboxyhemoglobin is formed; this compound block the diffusion of oxygen in blood.