Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Emergency Room

Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Emergency Room CO poisoning is a serious condition treated in the ER. To ensure patient notes are readily available, ER physicians utilize medical transcription services.

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ER physicians are focused on providing continuous care for patients admitted there due to many types of emergencies. The emergency department

provides

appointment.

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care

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patients

conditions

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even

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without attacks,

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prior

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environmental injuries, infections, broken bones and hand injuries, respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD, toxicological and poisoning emergencies are all treated in the ER. The notes made by emergency room physicians are vital and should be documented correctly.

There may be recorded notes which are transcribed accurately by inhouse transcriptionists in the hospital or by a partnering medical transcription service provider. Among the many emergencies treated in an ER is carbon monoxide poisoning.

Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Every year more than 50,000 people in the United States require emergency care, and over 400 people die, due to accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is found in fumes produced by gas ranges, stoves, lanterns, and burning charcoal. The irony is that haemoglobin in the blood (Hb or Hgb) has a greater affinity towards CO and absorbs it much more strongly than oxygen. A small quantity of CO inhaled can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and a lot of oxygen is needed to get rid of it.

Carbon monoxide poisoning cannot be treated at home. Patients with carbon monoxide poisoning spend a lot of time sitting in the emergency department breathing straight oxygen.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? There are three common symptoms -- headache, fatigue, confusion, the feeling that something

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right,

dizziness,

achiness

and

even

loss

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consciousness. If you experience these symptoms then you must call 911 and rush to the nearest emergency room or else it can lead to cardiac arrest and other complications. The sources of carbon monoxide are www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

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malfunctioning water heaters, furnaces, vehicles or small engines. Today there are many carbon monoxide alarms available that help you get an earlier indication of CO in the house.

Lindell Weaver, MD, director of hyperbaric medicine at Intermountain Medical Center and LDS Hospital, suggests that a CO alarm should be placed in the master bedroom and it should be replaced every three to five years.

The treatment for CO poisoning is breathing pure oxygen. When you are brought to the ER, they provide a mask to place over your nose and mouth that will help oxygen to reach your organs and tissues. In many cases, especially in serious cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used. It helps protect the heart and brain tissue, which are particularly vulnerable to injury from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Administering oxygen to reduce CO levels in the blood is an important part of carbon monoxide poisoning treatment. Based on the severity of the poisoning, patients may require support for brain and cardiac function. Some patients may need treatment for brain swelling and this would include medications and admission to the intensive care unit. If patients experience cardiac irritability and arrhythmias, these conditions are treated in the hospital with medication or electrical therapy.

Many other treatment options are also being researched to treat CO poisoning. These include oxygen injections administered directly into the bloodstream, and use of hydrogen-rich saline solution as an antioxidant to control the excess free-floating oxygen in the bloodstream. Interestingly, a study found that patients who experienced CO poisoning and also drank alcohol had less overall brain damage compared to those with CO poisoning alone. Thus alcohol exposure could also be considered as a solution for severe carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Whatever the treatment provided, ER physicians and other clinical staff must carefully document each and every event in the emergency room.

The need for comprehensive documentation and timely, focused care keep ER staff on their toes all the time. Reliable, EHR-integrated medical transcription services can help reduce the documentation burden and ensure that all treatment notes are available in a timely manner to emergency room physicians.

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918-221-7809