Sun14November1246PM 3

A 40-year-old man is brought into the Emergency department following a house fire. He has no burns, is maintaining his own airway but is unconscious and has a high level of carboxyhaemoglobin in his blood.

What is the recommended treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning in an unconscious patient?

(Please select 1 option)

Blood transfusion

100% oxygen via face mask

70% oxygen with tight face mask

Ventilation with 70% oxygen

Ventilation with 100% oxygen Correct

Explanation

Treatment with oxygen is recommended because breathing 100% oxygen is known to reduce the half life of carboxyhaemoglobin, and is considered by experts to be effective. You can only deliver 100% oxygen via a cuffed endotracheal tube and this unconscious patient needs his airway protecting.

There is debate about the use of hyperbaric oxygen because there is insufficient evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves long term outcomes of people with severe carbon monoxide poisoning, compared with standard oxygen therapy