Date of Presentation
5-2-2024 12:00 AM
College
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) is difficult to detect in the surrounding environment due to its colorless, odorless, and tasteless properties. Patients acutely poisoned with CO can have a myriad of presentations including headache, dizziness, and critical illness— all with a mortality rate up to 3%. When concerned for CO poisoning, blood co-oximeter testing should be performed, with treatment surrounding the idea of providing supplemental oxygen The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment remains unclear. Here we describe an atypical scenario of a patient ultimately found to have CO poisoning, and the importance of early identification and treatment of this elusive diagnosis to provide for a better neurological outcome.
Keywords
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Differential Diagnosis, Treatment Outcome
Disciplines
Diagnosis | Emergency Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neurology | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Therapeutics
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Diagnosis Commons, Emergency Medicine Commons, Neurology Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons, Therapeutics Commons
Unmasking a Silent Threat: Early Detection of Elevated HbCO Levels When the Story Doesn’t Add Up
Carbon monoxide (CO) is difficult to detect in the surrounding environment due to its colorless, odorless, and tasteless properties. Patients acutely poisoned with CO can have a myriad of presentations including headache, dizziness, and critical illness— all with a mortality rate up to 3%. When concerned for CO poisoning, blood co-oximeter testing should be performed, with treatment surrounding the idea of providing supplemental oxygen The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment remains unclear. Here we describe an atypical scenario of a patient ultimately found to have CO poisoning, and the importance of early identification and treatment of this elusive diagnosis to provide for a better neurological outcome.