Volume 14, Issue 11: Carbon monoxide poisoning – the silent killer

Carbon monoxide poisoning – the silent killer

It is a cold November day and it has been unusually quiet, as you are heading back to station you receive a call for a 65-year-old female with acute confusion and weakness. Initial assessment does not offer any obvious reason for this – have you considered all the possibilities?

CPD benefit

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas that is produced during the incomplete combustion of carbon-based compounds. CO poisoning is potentially life threatening, with around 40 deaths attributed to it in England and Wales every year. This article outlines the epidemiology and pathophysiology of CO poisoning. It provides guidance on how to assess a patient with possible CO poisoning including differential diagnosis, which can be challenging for the pre-hospital clinician. There is also advice on how best to manage the patient including treatment that can be given in the pre-hospital setting and when to convey the patient to the ED.