Carbon Monoxide Headquarters




Chronic CO Poisoning:



Problems in Dealing with Chronic CO Poisoning:

  • Fact of exposure usually recognized only later, the time we call "discovery"

  • Good COHb level measurements usually not obtained

  • Air CO level measurements often not obtained

  • Residual effects commonly occur, but often subtle; thus usually unrecognized by untrained physicians.

  • Less medical/scientific literature available than for acute CO poisoning

  • Seldom produces damage recognizable by high-tech scanning techniques (MRI, CT, SPECT)

  • Changes seen by neuropsychological testing usually most useful

  • Considerable variability of effects from one individual to the next


    ...... last changed 04/27/04


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