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Treatment of Carbon monoxide poisoning

People with suspected CO poisoning are first taken away from the possible source of the gas, so their symptoms can be assessed. If the poisoning is mild, it’s important to get medical advice, but you probably won’t have to go to hospital.

If you’ve been exposed to a lot of CO, you’ll be treated in hospital. 100% oxygen is given through a tight fitting mask (normal air is only 21% oxygen). The high concentration of oxygen that you breathe in helps the body to make oxyhaemoglobin more quickly to replace carboxyhaemoglobin.

If there’s been serious exposure to CO, and nerve damage is suspected, you’ll be given Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) within 6 hours. HBO is a treatment that saturates (floods) the body with pure oxygen, and helps to overcome the oxygen shortage caused by carbon monoxide.

HBO may be given to people who’ve had their oxygen supply cut off or reduced,
pregnant women, people in a coma or with a history of loss of consciousness, and people with abnormal ECG readings or reduced brain activity.

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