CARBON-MONOXIDE POISONING

Carbon monoxide is a common domestic and industrial poison which may be lethal. Survivors can develop permanent neuropsychiatric disability. The mechanisms of toxicity are poorly understood and the traditional criteria used to determine the severity of the poisoning have low predictability. Oxygen is the recommended antidote to carbon monoxide, but it appears that oxygen under hyperbaric conditions repeated either daily or as indicated by the patient's condition may be required to provide an effective dose. A reliable marker of the severity of carbon monoxide poisoning is urgently needed so that trials of alternative regimens can proceed.