Vivid signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and help. The effect of carbon monoxide on the human body

Bath procedures have a positive effect on the entire body, give vigor and cheer up, but mistakes in their implementation can lead to sad consequences. The most dangerous enemy of lovers of "light steam" is carbon monoxide, which causes serious poisoning of the body. Experienced bath attendants call this condition intoxication and know that it can lead to death.

What is the danger of carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (scientifically called monoxide or carbon monoxide) is a substance that is formed during the partial combustion of carbon. In the bath, it can accumulate for various reasons: due to an improperly organized ventilation system, a prematurely closed stove, a contaminated chimney.

The insidiousness of this poison lies in the fact that it does not have any physical properties and does not cause discomfort in minimal quantities, but it accumulates in the body quickly enough and provokes serious changes in the state:

• After entering the respiratory tract, carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream, combines with hemoglobin and disrupts oxygen metabolism, as a result of which carbon dioxide accumulates in tissues and organs, causing severe oxygen starvation.
• Carbon monoxide interacts not only with hemoglobin, but also with a special protein that is part of the muscles, including the myocardium, which causes muscle pain and disorders of the heart.
• Carbon monoxide triggers a whole series of chemical reactions that disrupt the operation of all systems, especially those that have any kind of disturbance.

Most often, the critical accumulation of carbon monoxide in the body occurs so quickly that a person does not have time to understand what is happening to him, and faints.

If the poison continues to enter the body, serious health problems and even death are possible.

In children, pregnant women and weakened people, the poisonous substance accumulates in the blood faster, and the signs and consequences are more pronounced.

If you want to know if pregnant women can go to the bathhouse, we advise you to read the article

Stages of poisoning

Doctors distinguish three stages of carbon monoxide poisoning, but it is quite difficult to draw a clear line between them - they are distinguished by the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin, a toxic compound of hemoglobin with a poisonous substance. True, the effect of the same amount of carbon monoxide on different people may differ depending on the general condition and characteristics of the body.

Degrees of poisoning:

• Light impact. It is characterized by moderate manifestations, the content of carboxyhemoglobin is 15–30%, the victim usually remains conscious and is able to move independently.
• Average. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin reaches 30-40%, the signs of poisoning are more pronounced, fainting occurs, short-term or prolonged, at least 15-20 minutes.
• Severe degree. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin of about 50-60% causes a coma of varying depth and duration, serious violations of the basic functions of life, convulsions, changes in the shade of the skin.

In addition, there are more rare varieties of carbon monoxide poisoning:

• lightning fast;
• fainting;
• euphoric.

The lightning-fast type of poisoning is considered the most dangerous - 75% of hemoglobin almost instantly binds to carbon monoxide, as a result of which death occurs within 2-3 minutes.

With the fainting form, the vascular system is affected, and with the euphoric form, the nervous system is affected, which causes loss of consciousness and pathological excitation, respectively.

How to recognize poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning can present with symptoms of varying intensity, including:

• different intensity, dizziness;
• noise and pounding in the ears, flies and spots before the eyes, tearing, less often hallucinations;
• unpleasant bitter taste in the mouth;
• feeling of lack of air and pressure in the chest area, paroxysmal cough;
• nausea and vomiting;
• deterioration in coordination of movements, loss of orientation in space, unsteadiness of gait;
• increased heart rate, tachycardia;
• weakness and drowsiness;
• a change in the shade of the skin, first to bright red, and then bluish.

As the concentration of harmful substances in the body increases, a person begins to lose consciousness - at first, fainting is short-lived, but soon they turn into a coma. Convulsions appear, the pupils dilate and stop responding to light, breathing stops, due to the relaxation of all muscles, spontaneous defecation and urination are possible.

First aid

It is necessary to start providing first aid to a person in case of carbon monoxide poisoning immediately, after the first symptoms appear, the concentration of a dangerous substance in the blood grows very quickly, and with it the likelihood of serious complications.

1. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the effect of the poisonous substance on the body of the victim, that is, take it out into the street, and ventilate the room well.
2. If a person is conscious, you should give him as much liquid as possible to reduce the concentration of a toxic substance in the blood, and even better, tea or coffee. Caffeine, which is contained in these drinks, activates blood circulation, which contributes to the normalization of the condition.

1. The victim, who is in a faint, must be put in such a way that he does not choke on vomit and does not choke on his tongue, after bringing him to consciousness, let him inhale vapors of ammonia, rub his temples.
2. You can use a cold compress placed on the chest, which also improves blood circulation.
3. If a person is not breathing, it is necessary to carry out elementary resuscitation measures, and then immediately take him to a medical facility.

To eliminate the unpleasant consequences of bathing intoxication, you can eat some fresh berries (strawberries, lingonberries or viburnum), which have an antioxidant effect.

A mild degree of carbon monoxide poisoning, as a rule, disappears on its own after 4-4.5 hours, but during this period you need to carefully monitor the patient's condition and consult a doctor in case of any deterioration.

Follow-up treatment

Moderate and severe burns, as well as poisoning in pregnant women and children, are treated exclusively in a medical institution (sometimes an intensive care unit) with the help of oxygen - it is supplied through a special mask or directly into the lungs using a ventilator.

If the patient's condition causes serious concern, he is placed in a pressure chamber, where oxygen is supplied under a certain pressure.

As an antitoxin, Acizol is administered to the victim - a specially designed agent that frees hemoglobin molecules from the carbon monoxide associated with them. The rest of the treatment is non-specific and symptomatic - correction of oxidative processes that are disturbed due to hypoxia, support and normalization of vital signs: blood pressure, pulse, respiration.

After the condition and well-being of the victim improve, he is left in the hospital for some time to monitor his condition and prevent dangerous complications.

Possible consequences

Carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems that appear immediately after its exposure to the body or after 2-40 days. The first category of complications includes:

• swelling of the lungs of a toxic nature;
• cardiovascular dysfunction;
• visual and hearing disorders;
• damage to nerve endings;
• encephalopathy.

Encephalopathy is considered the most dangerous complication - a complex of symptoms that manifest themselves with irreversible damage to brain tissue, which leads to lifelong disability. Late complications, which may appear several weeks after the accident, include:

• mental disorders, amnesia;
• deterioration of speech function;
• musculoskeletal disorders (paresis, paralysis);
• degenerative processes in the lungs;
• myocardial infarction;
• acute heart failure.

To prevent complications after carbon monoxide poisoning, it is necessary to provide the victim with first aid in a timely manner and conduct adequate therapy.

Precautionary measures

It is necessary to take preventive measures against carbon monoxide poisoning even at the stage of building a steam room:

• The chimney and ventilation must be properly designed and in good working order - they should be checked and cleaned regularly.

• For a heater, it is better to choose simple gray river stones or special porcelain insulators - they give good steam, do not emit carbon monoxide and retain heat.
• A small hole with a diameter of 20 mm can be made on the pipe valve so that the gas goes outside and the room does not cool down so quickly. Since carbon monoxide has neither taste nor smell, it is impossible to feel its presence in the room, so it is best to purchase a carbon monoxide sensor - it is inexpensive, but in critical situations it can save a person's health and even life.

Even for experienced bath lovers, it is important to carefully monitor their own well-being and the condition of those who are nearby - if a person behaves inappropriately, breathes heavily, coughs heavily or faints, it is necessary to immediately stop bathing procedures and take him to fresh air.

Subject to simple safety rules, couples will always be easy, and bath procedures will bring pleasure and benefit.

Carbon monoxide, together with the inhaled air, enters the lungs, from where it enters the bloodstream. In the blood, carbon monoxide interacts with hemoglobin, a protein that delivers oxygen to all body tissues. Each hemoglobin molecule contains an iron atom, which attaches an oxygen molecule to itself, forming oxyhemoglobin as a result. The bond between an iron atom and an oxygen molecule is reversible. There are four heme-perfuming rings around the iron atom. The presence of hemoglobin allows the blood to carry 70 times more oxygen than a simple saline solution would.

Carbon monoxide replaces an oxygen molecule, as a result, instead of oxyhemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin is formed,

Carbon monoxide already at 0.5% concentration can be fatal.

Which is no longer able to perform the task of transporting oxygen.

The danger of carbon monoxide lies in the fact that it reacts with hemoglobin faster than oxygen, and carboxyhemoglobin is a stronger compound than oxyhemoglobin. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin is gradually crowned in the body, as its dissociation is carried out at a slower pace, even exposure to a small concentration is dangerous. carbon dioxide in the air for a long time Manifestations of acute oxygen deficiency can begin already at a CO concentration in the air of 0.07%.

When the content of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood exceeds 20%, there are visible signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. With a carboxyhemoglobin content of 30%, dizziness, visual impairment, weakness in the legs can be felt, at a concentration of 40-50%, confusion is observed, and a concentration of 60-70% is fatal for a person. The dangerous content of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood accumulates the faster, the higher the concentration of CO in the inhaled air. To give an idea of ​​what we are talking about, we can say that a concentration of carboxyhemoglobin of 40% can be achieved in 3 hours of staying in a room with 0.1% carbon dioxide in the air. If a person is not at rest, but is busy with vigorous activity, this time is reduced.

Constant exposure to a small amount of carbon monoxide has no pronounced consequences, but the presence of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood leads to a deterioration in well-being. A person may complain of a constant headache, loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, lethargy, pain in the heart, impaired attention and memory Similar symptoms are repeatedly noted by residents of large cities.

Insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues of the body, which continues for a long period of time, can have serious consequences for the cardiovascular system and the brain. Even with the treatment of severe symptoms of oxygen deficiency, a violation of the activity of the cerebral cortex can be observed, and in 70% of cases, mental disorders and personality changes appear after carbon monoxide poisoning.

In general, good things should not be expected from this gas. Hence the conclusion: precaution and prudence first of all. Therefore, do not neglect the rules for the installation and operation of stoves, fireplaces, and other appliances that ensure the combustion of any fuel. Kitchens equipped with gas stoves, boiler rooms, boiler rooms must be constantly ventilated

However, one hundred percent certainty that the concentration of carbon monoxide in the room does not exceed the permissible limits, you can get
only by installing a special sensor. This is a device that is powered, depending on the type, either from a 220-volt network or from ordinary AA batteries, which is able to respond to the carbon dioxide content in the room air. Operating around the clock, the gas sensor does not require maintenance or care. When it is time to replace the batteries or there is a disturbance in the power supply, the device itself announces this with an audible signal. When the permissible level of carbon monoxide concentration in the room is exceeded, the sensor turns on a loud siren, and in some models it also gives a light signal.

Such devices cost, depending on the model and manufacturer - from 90 to 300 thousand rubles.

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Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, very light gas (lighter than air) and odorless. But the "smell of carbon monoxide" is felt due to impurities of organic elements in the fuel. Carbon monoxide at home appears every time when wood is burned. The main cause of carbon monoxide is the lack of oxygen in the combustion area.

The occurrence of intoxication

Carbon monoxide at home occurs when carbon is burned due to a lack of oxygen. Combustion in furnaces of fuel occurs in several stages:

1. First, the carbon burns, releasing carbon dioxide CO2;
2. The carbon dioxide then comes into contact with the red-hot residue of coke or coal, creating carbon monoxide;
3. Then, the carbon monoxide burns (blue flame) to form carbon dioxide, which escapes through the chimney.

Without draft in the furnace (the chimney is clogged, there is no supply air for combustion, the damper is closed prematurely), the coals continue to smolder without a weak supply of oxygen, so carbon monoxide does not burn and can be dispersed throughout the heated room, having a toxic effect on the body and poisoning (waste).

Factors of fumes poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisonous gas is odorless and colorless, making it very dangerous. Causes of carbon monoxide poisoning can be:

• Faulty operation of the fireplace stove and chimney (clogged chimney, cracks in the stove).
• Violation (closing of the furnace damper untimely, poor draft, insufficient access to the firebox of fresh air).
• The presence of a person in the very heart of the fire.
• Maintenance of a car in a room with low ventilation.
• The use of low-quality air in breathing apparatus and scuba gear.
• Sleeping in a car with the engine running.
• Using a grill with low ventilation.

Signals and signs of poisoning

At a low concentration of gas, the first signs of toxic effects and poisoning may form: lacrimation, dizziness and pain, nausea and weakness, confusion, dry cough, there are auditory and visual hallucinations. Feeling the symptoms of poisoning, you need to get out into fresh air as soon as possible.

With a long period of time spent in a room with a low density of carbon monoxide, symptoms of poisoning occur: tachycardia, respiratory failure, impaired coordination, drowsiness, visual hallucinations, blue skin of the face and mucous membranes, vomiting, loss of consciousness, there may be convulsions.

With increased concentration - there is a loss of consciousness and coma with convulsions. Without first aid, the victim may die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The impact of carbon monoxide in the home on the human body

Carbon monoxide enters through the lungs, contacts hemoglobin in the blood and prevents the transfer of oxygen to organs and tissues. From oxygen starvation, the nervous system and brain function are disturbed. The higher the concentration of carbon monoxide and the longer the period of stay in the room, the stronger the poisoning and the greater the likelihood of death.

After poisoning, medical supervision is necessary for several days, since complications are often observed. Severely poisoned victims should be hospitalized. Problems with the nervous system and lungs are possible even weeks after the incident. Curiously, women are less affected by carbon monoxide than men.

Carbon monoxide detector for home

Poisoning or fumes can be prevented by using a stand-alone carbon monoxide alarm or sensor. If the amount of carbon monoxide in a residential or technical room exceeds the permissible level, the sensor will signal, warning of the threat. Carbon monoxide detectors are electrochemical sensors designed to continuously monitor the level of CO in a room and respond with light and sound signals to high levels of carbon monoxide in the air.

When you decide to buy a carbon monoxide detector for your home, pay attention to the features (with external similarity) of the devices: an open fire detector and a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide detector reacts to different elements in the air of the room. Carbon monoxide sensors for the home are installed at a height of one and a half meters from the floor (some recommend placing 15-20 cm from the ceiling). The carbon dioxide detector is placed near the instrument panel or at floor level (carbon dioxide is much heavier than air), and the smoke detector should be on the ceiling.

In many countries, the use of the above sensors is a mandatory condition provided by law to ensure the safety and health of the population. In Europe, only a smoke detector is required. With us, the installation of a carbon monoxide sensor is still a voluntary matter. Such sensors are generally an inexpensive device, so it is better not to risk your life and buy a carbon monoxide alarm for your home.

How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in the house

By following safety rules, carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented:

— Do not use appliances that burn fuel without sufficient skills, knowledge and tools.

- Do not burn charcoal in a poorly ventilated room.

- Make sure that the stove, exhaust and supply ventilation and chimney are working properly.

- On the smoke channels of wood-burning stoves, it is necessary to provide for the installation of 2 tight valves in series, and on the channels of stoves operating on coal or peat, only one valve with a hole of 15 mm.

- Do not leave a car with a running engine in the garage.

Sensors that indicate an increase in carbon monoxide concentration can provide additional protection against poisoning, but they should not replace other preventive measures.

Carbon monoxide in stove heating

A fireplace or stove with a closed valve and the remains of unburned fuel is a source of carbon monoxide and an invisible poisoner. Assuming that the fuel has completely burned out, the owners of the stoves close the chimney damper to keep the heat. Smoldering embers with a lack of air create carbon monoxide, which penetrates into the room through leaky zones of the furnace system.

Also in the chimney, with weak draft and no air supply, chemical underburning of the fuel occurs, and as a result, the appearance and accumulation of carbon monoxide at home.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning - headache, nausea, suffocation, movement disorders at a gas density of 0.02-0.03% and human exposure for 4-6 hours. With a density of 0.1-0.2% and exposure for 1-2 hours - the onset of coma, breathing stops, death is possible. Intoxication by combustion products during a fire is 80% a factor in human mortality, more than 60% is carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous substance that has a rapid toxic effect on the body. Dangerous for human life. At a density of 1.2% in space, the death of the victim without medical assistance occurs within 3 minutes.

The dangerous effect of carbon monoxide occurs in a short time:

1. It is impossible to determine by color, smell, feel its presence in the room.
2. Seeps through barriers, soil.
3. Passes through porous materials, a conventional gas mask cannot prevent its toxicity.
4. The systems of organs and tissues are affected due to blocking of the gas supply of oxygen to them.
5. The substance combines with hemoglobin, when combined, carboxyhemoglobin is formed, which disrupts the functioning of organs. Erythrocytes cannot deliver O2 to tissues, hypoxia occurs.
6. The central nervous system is affected as a result of a lack of oxygen. There is nausea, clouding in the head, pain.

There is a violation of the work of the heart muscle, striated muscles. The combination of a gaseous substance with muscle protein is manifested by weakness of the pulse, palpitations, and difficulty in breathing.

Causes and symptoms

The causes of poisoning are:

1. household poisoning. Broken units for heating: stoves, fireplaces. Leakage of propane containing 4-11% CO, long burning of kerosene.
2. Fire. When burning vehicles, buildings, wagons with fuel.
3. Traffic fumes. When the car is running indoors, they contain a maximum of 13.5% carbon monoxide, an average of 6-6.5%. The concentration can become lethal within 5 minutes.
4. Gas, wiring in industrial premises. The gas product is used for synthesis, acetone, phenol, methyl alcohol, methane. When ignited, their vapors are dangerous.
5. Gas on the territory with gas appliances. Cookers, heat generators with a lack of air ventilation, clogging in the ventilation pipes provoke an influx of carbon monoxide into production rooms.

Intoxication occurs when using a hookah and respiratory units.

There are 3 degrees of intoxication of the presence of CO density in space. It is possible to distinguish and recognize how much the inhaling vapor could be poisoned by using symptoms according to severity:

Atypical symptoms of poisoning of three forms:

1. Fainting form. Rapid pressure drop 70/50 mmHg or below. Temporary loss of consciousness.
2. euphoric form. Violation of orientation in the room, a strong excited state, delirium, fainting, respiratory failure.
3. Lightning form. The density of carbon monoxide reaches 1.2% per 1m³. In the patient's blood, the level of carboxyhemoglobin reaches 75%. Signs: convulsions, paralysis of the respiratory tract, lack of consciousness, death in 2-3 minutes.

Signs of burnout appear within 2-6 hours after inhalation of air containing 0.22-0.23 mg CO per 1 liter. Death occurs within 20-30 minutes if the concentration of CO is 3.4-5.7 mg/l - within 1-3 minutes at a density of 14 mg/l. Code in ICD-10 X47.

Essential Antidote

It is important in the first minutes when providing first aid to the patient to introduce the antidote "Acyzol".

"Acyzol" - a fast-acting medicine counteracts carbon monoxide poisoning. It blocks the formation of carboxyhemoglobin, quickly helps to cleanse the body of the victim from carbon monoxide.

The condition is that the sooner the introduction is made after poisoning, the greater the chances of avoiding negative consequences for the patient.

Medicine offers an application algorithm:

1. Treatment involves intramuscular injection - 1 ml immediately after evacuation. The procedure is repeated after 60 minutes.
2. Prevention involves 1 ml intramuscularly 20-30 minutes before entering the danger zone.

The drug several times reduces the negative effect of the poison on the body.

First aid at home

First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning involves the sequence:

1. Provide evacuation of a person with the help of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
2. Urgently call an ambulance.
3. The patient must be given access to fresh air. Unbutton the collar and chest, put on one side, in order to avoid falling tongue. Open windows in the room.
4. In a conscious state, give the victim tea to drink to activate the vasomotor and respiratory centers.
5. To restore consciousness, apply ammonia. Soak a cotton pad in the solution, let it breathe. If there is no reaction, rub hands, feet, chest, face to stimulate blood flow.
6. The presence of indicators of clinical death: there is no breathing, pulse, carotid arteries do not pulsate, there is no movement of the pupils in the presence of light. In such situations, provide resuscitation of the lungs and heart. At home, the prehospital mechanism is as follows: 2 breaths, 30 chest compressions.
7. If the patient is conscious, lay on one side, cover with something warm.

When evacuating from the premises, it is imperative to hold your breath and exit as quickly as possible with the victim.

First aid at home includes important points:

1. Take the patient outside, then the content of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood will decrease by 50%.
2. Folk way - put mustard plasters on the chest or back. Apply rubbing to the chest, which will increase blood circulation.
3. Do not overheat the victim.

Upon arrival, emergency workers provide the patient with oxygen through a special pillow and inject an antidote. The doctor conducts diagnostics, makes an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms in some cases may not indicate consequences. Only a doctor can recognize possible complications, determine correctly according to the analyzes, the type of patient, the severity of the degree of intoxication.

The decision on hospitalization is made by the doctor. The following categories of patients are required to be admitted to the hospital:

• patients with a concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood of more than 25%;
• during pregnancy (more than 10%);
• with cardiovascular pathology (more than 15%);
• those who lost consciousness, delirious;
• with body temperature less than 36.6 °C.

A small child is subject to examination and hospitalization, including patients with a mild degree of intoxication.

Early treatment reduces the rate of death and disability.

Carbon monoxide poisoning involves the following treatment:

1. The victim is given breathing oxygen with a partial pressure of 1.5-2 atm or carbogen (95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide). The procedure lasts for 3-6 hours.
2. Quartz is assigned. With the help of a lamp, the breakdown of carboxyhemoglobin is accelerated.
3. Introduction of cordiamine 1 ml and 1 ml of 10% caffeine under the skin. Used for heart failure.
4. In case of complications of the respiratory tract, Isoniazid tablets are prescribed for prevention purposes. Use the drug in the treatment of pneumonia in children and adults. The dose is 5-15 mg per 1 kg of body weight, 1-3 times a day after meals.

Symptomatic infusion therapy includes the following steps:

1. Soda 4% solution 400 ml is injected intravenously, gemodez 400 ml.
2. Apply vitamins: ascorbic acid solution 5%, 20 ml and glucose 40%, 60 ml intravenously.
3. Relief of seizures is carried out with the drug "Diazepam".
4. Coma involves the introduction of 0.01 mg/kg of naloxone + 40-80 ml of 40% glucose + 100 mg of thiamine.

Drug therapy is aimed at normalizing the central nervous system, other systems and organs, depending on the severity of the poisoning.

Consequences and prognosis of life

After the manifestation of carbon dioxide poisoning, deterioration can be observed:

• circulatory disorders, cerebral edema;
• hemorrhages;
• deterioration of hearing and vision;
• possible myocardial infarction;
• bubbles, puffiness appear on the skin, necrosis, nephrosis is possible;
• coma is accompanied by chronic pneumonia.

If the level of carboxyhemoglobin reaches 75%, death occurs after 3 minutes.

To prevent serious violations, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures:

1. Use gaseous devices only in working condition.
2. Carry out periodic preventive inspections of equipment by a specialist.
3. Choose air access through ventilation.
4. Check the oven damper.
5. Do not work indoors with the car engine running.
6. When working with carbon monoxide, follow the safety regulations.

By following simple rules, intoxication can be avoided.

Gas poisoning is a high risk. In case of intoxication, it is required to ensure the elimination of smoke, quickly take the victim outside. Then immediately call an ambulance. Give the patient hot tea, turn to the side, provide warmth. The faster these events take place, the higher the likelihood of saving the patient's life.

Carbon monoxide is a product released during the combustion of carbon, so anyone can be poisoned by it. Of particular danger is the fact that an insignificant amount of gas is needed for lethal care, which has neither color nor smell. The second aspect is the speed of the poison, often doctors simply do not have time to provide assistance.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is carbon monoxide that is released together with carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned. True, in contrast to carbon dioxide, the CO content in the room is required much less in order to cause fatal poisoning. Poisoning with the toxin in question is one of the most common household intoxications, which is why it is so important to know its symptoms in order to prevent dire consequences.

CO poisoning ranks first in Russia in terms of mortality among household intoxications. Every year in our country, at least 100 people die from. The death of those who are poisoned occurs at the site of poisoning, doctors simply do not have time to provide assistance to the victims. That is why it is so important to start taking rescue measures as early as possible.

The physical and chemical properties of CO are such that it is a colorless and odorless gas. It is released during the partial combustion of substances that have carbon in their composition. To answer the question about carbon monoxide, is it heavier or lighter than air, you need to remember a school chemistry course or turn to Wikipedia. With any of the options, we learn that it is lighter than air, and, therefore, in case of fire, you need to move around, bending as low as possible to the ground.

It easily penetrates thin walls and layers of loose soil. It is not absorbed by materials with a porous structure, which makes filter-type gas masks useless. Carbon monoxide has a rapid general toxic effect. So, with its concentration in the air over 1.3%, death occurs in 3-4 minutes.

CO is ubiquitous. Therefore, poisoning occurs quite often. It is possible to be poisoned by this gas:

• in domestic fires;
• in industries where CO is used as a reagent (chemical industry, heavy metallurgy);
• in case of insufficient ventilation in rooms with gas equipment, in case of leakage in gas cylinders (has a characteristic smell due to specially added odorous substances, pure CO has no smell);
• with prolonged burning of kerosene and gasoline lamps;
• in places of accumulation of exhaust gases of cars (large highways, garages), you can also get poisoned with carbon monoxide.

Impact on the human body

Carbon monoxide, causing acute poisoning, is a dangerous chemical compound for a living organism.

The following groups of people are especially susceptible to its damaging effects:

• people with bad habits (alcoholics, drug addicts and smokers);
• teenagers;
• women during pregnancy;
• children and adolescents under 16;
• people with exhaustion of the body;
• people diagnosed with anemia;
• people suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory system, such as bronchial asthma and COPD.

So, the detrimental effect on the human body is based on the transformation of the blood composition and damage to the respiratory system.

The main damaging factors of carbon monoxide include:

Blocking transport processes

CO is a blood poison that primarily affects red blood cells (erythrocytes). With the help of a protein called hemoglobin, which contains iron, cells carry oxygen. When carbon monoxide enters the body, hemoglobin binds to CO more quickly, forming a compound called carboxyhemoglobin. Erythrocytes containing such a modified protein lose their ability to deliver oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body, as a result of which they begin to experience oxygen starvation. That is, hypoxia develops.

Nerve cells are the most sensitive to lack of oxygen. Therefore, the initial signs of CO intoxication will be associated with disorders of the nervous system.

Violation of the skeletal and cardiac muscles

In addition to hemoglobin, which is found in the blood, CO is also able to bind to myoglobin, which is found in muscle tissues. As a result of this, a compound is also formed that loses its ability to perform its original function of providing oxygen to muscle fibers. So, there are symptoms from the muscular and cardiovascular systems. These include: shortness of breath, increased heart rate, thready pulse, general muscle weakness.

Carbon monoxide enters into other biochemical reactions of the body, disrupting the metabolic balance in tissues and organs.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

In people belonging to classes that are at risk of fatal CO poisoning, the manifestations and severity of intoxication directly depend on the concentration of toxic gas in the air and the time spent in the poisoned air environment. They range from harmless to lethal.

Early and late effects of poisoning

Carbon monoxide is insidious, and the symptoms that will show themselves after poisoning will disturb the victim for a long time. First of all, as we found out, the nervous and cardiovascular systems suffer. So, from the side of the nervous system in the first days after poisoning, there will be:

• headache and dizziness;
• decreased sensitivity in the limbs (associated with damage to peripheral nerve fibers);
• disorders of visual and auditory analyzers;
• exacerbation of existing mental illness.

Late complications that appear a week or even a month after intoxication include:

The occurrence of both early and late complications are due to a single mechanism. The cells of the nervous system are most susceptible to a lack of oxygen supply to them. So, during hypoxia, damage to the white and gray matter of the brain and spinal cord occurs. There is also a direct toxic effect. Violation of the peripheral nervous system due to the binding of CO to the proteins that form the myelin sheath of the nerve fiber, which leads to a violation of the conduction of the nerve impulse.

The consequences of the heart and blood vessels are also divided into early and late.

The mechanism of occurrence lies both in the hypoxia of the cardiac muscle tissue when carbon monoxide binds to the muscle protein - myoglobin, and in the direct poisoning effect of carbon monoxide on the heart tissue.

On the part of the respiratory system, toxic pulmonary edema may occur, and in the long term, a person's susceptibility to pneumonia of various origins will increase. This is caused by the weakening of the body's natural barriers due to the poisoning effects of CO.

Help with poisoning

The outcome of intoxication depends on many factors, but the correct and timely measures taken can save a person's life. The first thing to do when you see an injured person is to call an ambulance. This must be done, because, firstly, only a specialist is able to assess the severity of poisoning, secondly, external signs can mislead you that the victim has a mild form of intoxication, and thirdly, drug therapy started on time can save a life person and prevent his disability.

In need of hospitalization:

• people with moderate and severe severity, poisoning;
• pregnant women (because of the risk of fetal death);
• victims with a history of cardiovascular disease;
• victims with body temperature below normal;
• poisoned with loss of consciousness and other disorders of the nervous system.

After calling an ambulance, it is necessary to ensure the flow of fresh air to the victim. To do this, you need to get rid of the source of CO or leave the dangerous place yourself. Also, the poisoned person can wear an oxygen mask (if available) or a gas mask (NOT a filter type). This will ensure that the toxin does not enter the body.

Then you need to ensure the free circulation of air in the upper respiratory tract. To do this, open all the windows in the room, the patient is freed from restrictive clothing and laid on his side. In the fresh air, there is a decrease in the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, and the position of the body on the side will prevent the tongue from sinking in case of loss of consciousness.

In case of loss of consciousness, it is necessary to give the patient a sniff of ammonia, which stimulates the respiratory centers in the brain. You can rub the chest and back of the victim, put mustard plasters. These measures will increase blood circulation in the thoracic and cerebral arteries. After a person has been brought to consciousness, he can be offered tonic drinks (tea, coffee), which contain substances that stimulate the central nervous system.

If necessary, carry out resuscitation measures - artificial respiration and indirect heart massage with a cycle of 2 breaths and 30 chest compressions in the heart area in one approach. This will help maintain basic bodily functions until the doctors arrive.

If the poisoned person is in a stable state, it is necessary to protect him from unnecessary expenditure of energy. To do this, he needs to ensure peace, wrap him in blankets, lay him on his side on the bed.

Arriving doctors will begin treatment activities:

1. oxygen therapy. 12-15 liters per minute for 6-7 hours. The procedure is carried out using an oxygen mask, an oxygen tent or a ventilator. Oxygen, as it were, competes with poisonous gas for a place on hemoglobin. Therefore, the more oxygen molecules in the inhaled air, the more red blood cells will connect with it.
2. Administration of an antidote. In this case, the antidote is acyzol (6% ampoules, 1 ml or 120 mg capsules). 1 ml is administered intramuscularly as early as possible. Re-introduction - after 60 minutes. The drug is also used for prevention. It is taken 20-30 minutes before entering a potentially dangerous area.

Azizol is a remedy for CO poisoning. The drug accelerates the breakdown of carboxyhemoglobin, helping to remove it from the body, increases the affinity of hemoglobin with oxygen, and reduces the toxic effects of gas on tissues and organs of the body.