Acute carbon monoxide poisoning most commonly follows inhalation of coal gas but may also occur from internal combustion engines fumes and in burns victims. The condition must be treated with urgency. This paper describes the pathology of formation and dissociation of carboxyhaemoglobin and discusses the management including normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen. It is recommended that hyperbaric oxygenation be used where possible in acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
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