#lp15

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and the LifePak 15

David P. Woods, NREMT-I

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas given off by the incomplete combustion of carbon containing fuels. CO is released from many sources including fires, heaters, car and boat exhaust, cigarettes and gas-powered generators. So why do we care about CO? CO binds to hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying molecule in the blood, with an affinity of approximately 250 times that of oxygen. This affinity prevents oxygen from binding to hemoglobin and the patient will quickly become hypoxic. CO poisoning is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in industrialized countries and often called the "silent killer."

 In the past, detection of CO poisoning has been primarily limited to blood tests. The LIFEPAK15 is equipped to monitor CO levels and will alert the rescuer if the SpCO levels reach greater than 10%.

Signs/Symptoms:  Headache (sometimes described as a halo), confusion, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, unstable gait, nausea/vomiting, unconsciousness, tachycardia and chest pain. S/S may be more pronounced in patients that are young and old, and patients who are pregnant should receive priority care.

How to Use LP15:  To utilize the CO monitor, the pulse oximeter must be changed to the CO capable oximeter (marked with SpCO). Scroll to the SpO2 box, click and select SpCO. The monitor will momentarily show a reading but will automatically switch back to reading oxygen saturation if CO is less than 10%.