CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION: SITARAM SHRESTHA – CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING Carbon monoxide poisoning Sitaram Shrestha Professor, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal ABSTRACT Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning may be suicidal, homicidal and in many cases it is accidental. Poisoning is due to formation of carboxyhaemoglobin, which interferes transfers of oxygen and leads to appearance of symptoms.1 Which are not specific and may similar to COVID19. Symptoms depends upon concentration of CO in surroundings. Antidote of CO is oxygen. Keywords: carbon monoxide, poisoning, toxicity CORRESPONDENCE Dr. Sitaram Shrestha Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal Email:
[email protected] Journal of General Practice and Emergency Medicine of Nepal. Issue 10: 2021. Available at: www.jgpeman.com, eISSN: 2363-1168 55 CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION: SITARAM SHRESTHA – CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING INTRODUCTION • Low blood pressure Carbon monoxide (CO) Is known since ancient time • Muscle weakness which is tasteless, colour less, odour less and • Rapid or abnormal heartbeat non-irritating gas. It is sometimes termed a silent • Shock killer. As the specific gravity of CO is 0.97, it is • Nausea and vomiting slightly lighter than air. This gas is mainly produced • Unconsciousness by incomplete combustion of organic compounds.2 • Delayed poisoning Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, connected by a triple