Carbon monoxide poisoning

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By Mayo Clinic staff

If you or someone you're with develops signs or symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning — headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, confusion — get into fresh air immediately and call 911 or emergency medical help.

Hospital staff will need critical information as soon as you arrive. On the way to the hospital, try to prepare to answer questions about:

  • Possible sources of carbon monoxide exposure
  • Signs or symptoms, and when they started
  • Any mental impairment, including confusion and memory problems
  • Any loss of consciousness
  • Other medical conditions with which the affected person has been diagnosed, including pregnancy
  • Smoking habits
Tests and diagnosis Complications
References
  1. Aulakh SK. Carbon monoxide poisoning. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
  2. Lavonas EJ. Carbon monoxide poisoning. In: Shannon MW, et al. Haddad and Winchester's Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/167411074-4/908443298/2045/92.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0693-4..50092-X_3027. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
  3. Carbon monoxide poisoning: Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
  4. Carbon monoxide questions and answers. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
DS00648 Feb. 21, 2012

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