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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIf 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.
Once you're at the hospital, treatment may involve:
- Breathing pure oxygen. In the emergency room, you may breathe pure oxygen through a mask placed over your nose and mouth. This helps oxygen reach your organs and tissues. If you can't breathe on your own, a machine (ventilator) may do the breathing for you.
- Spending time in a pressurized oxygen chamber. In some cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended. With this therapy, you're placed in a full-body pressurized chamber. Inside the chamber, air pressure is more than twice as high as normal atmospheric pressure. This speeds the replacement of carbon monoxide with oxygen in your blood. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used in cases of severe carbon monoxide poisoning. It may also be recommended for pregnant women because unborn babies are more susceptible to damage from carbon monoxide poisoning.
References
- 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.
- 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.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning: Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
- Carbon monoxide questions and answers. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
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