Question

All patients suspected of having inhaled potentially toxic gases (is house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning) should be given high dose O2 until arrival at hospital and in these clinical situations, patients who show no signs of breathlessness may still benefit from this treatment?

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

Administering 100 percent oxygen helps save a patient from carbon monoxide poisoning by turning carbon monoxide back into hemoglobin. Giving carbon dioxide wouldn't work.

Step-by-step explanation:

In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, CO binds much more strongly to the hemoglobin, blocking oxygen attachment and lowering the amount of oxygen reaching the cells. Treatment involves the patient breathing pure oxygen to displace the carbon monoxide. Administering 100 percent oxygen helps save a patient from carbon monoxide poisoning by hastening the dissociation of carbon monoxide from carboxyhemoglobin, turning it back into hemoglobin. Giving carbon dioxide wouldn't work because it does not have the same ability to displace carbon monoxide from hemoglobin.