Volume 29, Issue 155, January 2025

Carbon monoxide poisoning: Pathophysiology, diagnosis, symptoms and advances in acute and chronic management

Wafa Al-Batool^1♦, Hiba Al-Batool¹, Aisha Hassan², Izabela Zarecka¹, Sara Hassan³, Szymon Bienia³, Aleksandra Kossakowska², Jakub Leicht², Klaudia Konieczna⁴

¹Wroclaw Medical University, wyb. Ludwika Pasteura 1, 50-367 Wrocław, Poland
²Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
³Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
⁴Medical University of Silesia, Dr. Henryka Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland

^♦Corresponding Author
Wroclaw Medical University, wyb. Ludwika Pasteura 1, 50-367 Wrocław, Poland

ABSTRACT

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is most important contributor to toxic gasrelated morbidity and mortality. Acute poisoning is well-documented, but chronic exposure remains poorly understood, often presenting with nonpathognomonic symptoms that complicate the diagnosis. Carbon monoxide (CO) attaches strongly to hemoglobin, hindering the transport of oxygen and disrupting cellular respiration. Acute exposure leads to injuries caused by a lack of oxygen, while prolonged exposure may contribute to nerve damage, memory and thinking problems, and heart-related complications. Typical sources of CO include exhaust fumes from vehicles, defective heating equipment, cigarette smoke, and certain industrial substances. Acute poisoning causes headache, dizziness, and potential neurological damage, while chronic exposure leads to fatigue, cognitive impairment, and delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome (DNS). Diagnosis involves carboxyhemoglobin measurement and clinical evaluation. Oxygen therapy is the main approach to treating carbon monoxide poisoning, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) proving especially beneficial in severe cases by reducing the likelihood of delayed neurological issues. While HBOT shows promise, more research is needed to understand chronic exposure and improve outcomes through standardized protocols.

Keywords: Carbon monoxide intoxication, carbon monoxide, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e9ms3482

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i155.e9ms3482

Published: 12 January 2025