TOXICOLOGY

CARBON MONOXIDE

BY:- FARHAN MAJEED

ROLL NO- 31.
WHAT ARE ASPHYXIANTS?

HENDERSON AND HAGGARD CLASSIFICATION:-

1.IRRITANT EG: SMOKE,TEAR GAS, ETC
2.CHEMICAL ASPHYXIANT EG:- CO, CYANIDE
3.SIMPLE ASPHYXIANT EG: - INERT GASES
4.VOLATILE DRUGS EG:- HYDROCARBONS.
5.SYSTEMIC POISONS EG:- INSECTICIDES.
WHAT IS CARBON MONOXIDE?

• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a product of incomplete

combustion of carbon(C ).
• It is a Chemical Asphyxiant
• It is Colourless, Tasteless and a Non-irritant gas.
 ACTION

CO IS ABSORBED READILY ACROSS THE ALVEOLUS.

AT ABOUT 10% IT IS PRESENT IN TISSUES IN MYOGLOBIN
AND HEAMOPROTEINS.(FORMS CARBOXYHEAMOGLOBIN.)
CO HAS 200-300 TIMES THE AFFINITY OF O2.
THEREFORE IT REDUCES THE OXYGEN CONTENT OF THE
BLOOD.
COHb ALTERS OXYGEN AFFINITY – SHIFTS THE
DISSOCIATION CURVE TO THE LEFT.
RESULTS IN HYPOXIA.
CO IS POTENT CELLULAR TOXIN- INHIBITS ELETRON
TRANSPORT BY BLOCKING CYTOCHROME A3
OXIDASE AND CYT-450.
 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CO POISONING

THE BRAIN AND HEART ARE AFFECTED FIRST.

SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR FLU OR
ILLNESS CAUSED BY CONTAMINATED FOOD.
VICTIMS DO NOT NOTICE ANY MAJOR SYMPTOMS
EXCEPT HEADACHE THEN GO INTO COMA AND DIE.
 ELIMINATION OF CO

AT 21% OXYGEN: - 4-5 HOURS.

100% :- 90 MINUTES
HYPERBARIC: - 22 MINS.
 TREATMENT OF CO POISONING

-TAKE THE PATIENT TO FRESH AIR.

-100% OXYGEN PROVIDED WITH A TIGHT FITTING MASK WITH
RUBBER SEAL.
- CO2 SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN.
- HYPERBARIC OXYGEN CAN ALSO BE GIVEN.
- GIVE ANTIBIOTICS AS PROPHYLAXIS AGAINST LUNG INFECTIONS.
- PATIENT SHOULD BE AT COMPLETE REST FOR 48 HRS.
THANK YOU.