Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

While an ever-present and familiar toxin, carbon monoxide (CO) remains the number one poison in our environment. This silent killer is responsible for over 2,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. The public and healthcare communities need quality information about the many risks presented by carbon monoxide exposure. Edited by a leading expert in the field, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning delineates the successful means to prevent, identify, and manage the effects of CO poisoning. This volume explores new information on CO toxicity, including rehabilitation, the dissemination of information to the public, litigation involving CO poisoning, economic loss assessment, and firefighting. A series of chapters detail the risk of CO poisoning from kitchen ranges, recreational vehicles, and power boats. Expert contributors survey diagnostic procedures and devices, incorporating advances in brain SPECT imaging and non-invasive pulse-oximetry. The book includes chapters that specifically address the pros and cons of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and thoroughly review the physiological effects of acute and long term exposure to CO, as well as the neurocognitive and neurobehavioral sequelae. Whether you are a healthcare professional who treats CO poisoning, a lawyer involved in litigation for loss of life or property due to CO poisoning, or an engineer developing a well-insulated structure with sufficient ventilation; you will face the challenges raised by CO toxicology. Offering the only comprehensive reference on the subject, this multi-faceted guide takes an innovative look at how we can identify, treat, and prevent harmful exposure to carbon monoxide.