Final answer:
Inhaling 0.1% CO can significantly reduce Hgb's capacity to carry oxygen due to the formation of carboxyhemoglobin, with CO having a 200 times greater affinity for Hgb than oxygen. Treating CO poisoning requires administering oxygen at high concentrations to reverse the effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is concerned with the impact of carbon monoxide (CO) on the capacity of hemoglobin (Hgb) to carry oxygen. When 0.1% of the inhaled air is CO, it significantly reduces the amount of Hgb available for oxygen transport, as CO binds to Hgb with an affinity that is 200 times greater than that of oxygen. This binding forms carboxyhemoglobin, which prevents oxygen from binding and thereby reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, leading to tissue hypoxia. While the exact percentage of Hgb reduction can vary based on multiple factors, the presence of even 1% carboxyhemoglobin can be significant, and anything over that can be increasingly detrimental. In severe cases, such as with CO poisoning, treatment involves administering high concentrations of oxygen under high pressure to displace CO from Hgb and form oxyhemoglobin again.