Carbon monoxide blood

A casualty with known exposure to carbon monoxide blood agents, who was initially unconscious but has regained consciousness or a casualty who shows neurological abnormalities such as dizziness, confusion, or hallucinations, has cardiac arrhythmias, bronchospasm or complains of severe headache, difficulty in breathing or chest pain. If available, breath measurement indicates that the blood carbon monoxide level exceeds 20%. 

Continue oxygen therapy until patient is asymptomatic and blood carbon monoxide levels are below 10%. For individuals with blood carbon monoxide levels above 40%, consider transfer to a hyperbaric facility. 

Jones, R. H., M. F. Ellicott, J. B. Cadigan, and E. A. Gaensler. The relationship between alveolar and blood carbon monoxide concentrations during breathholding. Simple estimation of COHb saturation. J. Lab. Qin. Med. 51 553-564, 1958. 

Carbon monoxide is very toxic, rapidly giving a bright red complex with the hemoglobin of blood. Carbon monoxide reacts with alkali metals in liquid ammonia to give the alkali metal carbonyls these white solids contain the [OCCO]2 ion. 

Carbon monoxide can be determined by reduction of silver in alkaline solutions of Ag p-sulphanoylbenzoate and measuring the absorbance of the coloured Ag sol obtained [50— 52], The method has been used for determining CO in air and in blood. Carbon monoxide has also been determined (in the presence of NO, SO2, and CO2) by reduction of Ag(I) from its salt with sulphanilic acid [53]. The reduction of Pd(II) by CO followed by reaction with KIO3 to form icin ions which form ion-pairs with Pyrronine Y (extraction with benzene) has also been used for determination of CO [54]. The yellow cacotheline is reduced to the violet dihydroxycacotheline by Pd formed in the reduction of PdCU complex by CO [55]. 

Determination of Blood Carbon Monoxide Content by Gas Chromatography J. Appl. Physiol. 21(4) 1368-1370 (1966) CA 65 5843a... 

McCredie, R. M., and Jose, A. D. Analysis of Blood Carbon Monoxide and... 

Chromatographic Analysis of Aqueous Solutions. Application for Blood Carbon Monoxide Determination U.S. Clearinghouse Fed. Sci. Tech. Inform., AD 659061. Avail. CFSTI, 14 pp. (1967) CA 68 46545z... 

A recent statistical study covering almost 5000 fatalities showed that the vast majority of fire deaths are attributable to carbon monoxide poisoning, which results in lethality at concentrations much lower than believed previously. Moreover, the same study showed that blood carbon monoxide loadings in fire... 

It is poisonous. If it gets into your blood it reacts with the haemoglobin in your red blood cells. Haemoglobin is the substance that carries o> gen round the blood. Carbon monoxide stops it working by forming carboxyhaemoglobin. 

---