Exposure usually continues for many days to months.Usually involves lower CO levels / lower COHb saturations.Exposure to CO occurs more than once and lasts longer than 24 hrs.Definitions of Types of Co-Exposure Acute CO Poisoning – Exposure to CO occurs only once and lasts no longer than 24 hrs. See the very useful British study by CO Support and the other studies contained in the section called Chronic CO Poisoning. A body of animal data is also available which is of some value in understanding and predicting human responses. Summaries of some of these dates are seen on this website. This is a subject about which many exciting new data have become available during the past 2 years. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generally show no lesion, even when psychological/psychiatric and neurologic evaluations may detect functional deficits. More often than not, by the time air CO or blood CO levels are measured, the presence of CO in the environment has been corrected, making measurement impossible. COHb is usually not excessively elevated. Similar symptoms are seen simultaneously in more than one person, and which disappear upon removal from an environment are tip-offs that CO is involved. As stated above, it is often mistaken for chronic fatigue syndrome, viral or bacterial pulmonary or gastrointestinal infection, excessive heat, etc. Patients may occasionally present with polycythemia, increased hematocrit, etc.Ĭhronic CO poisoning is, in fact, difficult to diagnose by those not skilled in its presentation. Chronic CO poisoning is often misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, a viral or bacterial pulmonary or gastrointestinal infection, a “run-down” condition, immune deficiency, etc. Mucous membranes of the body will rarely be cherry pink. The word chronic should be reserved to describe the type of exposure, not the subsequent condition or effect! A damaging effect of CO poisoning, or in fact, any change which persists, should be referred to as a residual effect.Ĭhronic CO poisoning may not elicit the typical symptoms of (acute) CO poisoning such as a headache, nausea, weakness, dizziness, etc. The boundary limit between acute and chronic exposure is indistinct. Exposure usually continues for many days to months. Additionally, a minor CO leak can precede a more drastic one, so identifying the condition can allow preventative measures to be taken.Ĭhronic CO poisoning usually involves lower levels of the gas in the air and lower blood CO (COHb) concentrations. However, the effects over time can still cause damage to the body, and even the more minor symptoms can disrupt one’s daily life. Because the exposure is less intense, CO2 leak symptoms can be less severe at the onset than with cases of acute CO poisoning and possibly mistaken for other chronic conditions. The division between acute and chronic exposure is not distinct, but chronic cases generally involve multiple instances of exposure over a longer period.ĬO concentrations experienced are relatively low, and exposure produces lower carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in the bloodstream. “Chronic” generally refers to a condition that persists over a long period of time however, chronic carbon monoxide poisoning refers to the duration of exposure rather than that of the residual effects. Chronic Carbon Monoxide Poisoning What is Chronic CO2 Poisoning?
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