Final answer:
A carboxyhemoglobin level greater than 10% typically indicates that a patient has been involved in a fire and may have inhalation injury, due to carbon monoxide binding with hemoglobin. Treatment involves administering oxygen to displace the carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin and allow for normal oxygen transport.
Step-by-step explanation:
A carboxyhemoglobin level that indicates a patient has been exposed to a fire and may have inhalation injury is typically greater than 10%. When carbon monoxide (CO) is inhaled, it binds with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, competing with oxygen and impairing the blood's capacity to transport oxygen. This can lead to tissue hypoxia. In a clinical setting, elevated levels of carboxyhemoglobin, such as above 10%, suggest significant CO exposure, consistent with inhalation injury during a fire.
Treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning includes administering oxygen, as oxygen has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than carbon monoxide only at very high partial pressures. This displaces the carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin, allowing normal oxygen transport to resume. In severe cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used, where the patient breathes pure oxygen in a pressurized environment to speed up the dissociation of CO from hemoglobin.