Carbon monoxide poisoning: An update

Abstract

CMP is an important toxicological emergency. The majority of cases present to accident and emergency departments, a few to general practitioners. In some cases the diagnosis is obvious, but in other cases manifestations may be non-specific when a high index of suspicion, a careful history, and venous or arterial COHb are necessary to establish the diagnosis. A thorough clinical assessment, including arterial blood gases and ECG, are necessary to estimate severity of poisoning. The role of imaging investigations is unclear in the acute phase. Computed tomography or MRI of the brain should be considered if patients do not make a complete neurological recovery after hyperbaric oxygen to exclude other pathology.