Professional diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning

While a diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning may sound straightforward enough, making the link to carbon monoxide exposure as the source of the problem is very frequently missed by health care professionals.

Properly identifying carbon monoxide exposure/poisoning as the source of symptoms is not as obvious as it may seem.

Often, the first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning show up as flu-like, food-poisoning-like, or alcohol-poisoning-like symptoms: headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, exhaustion, mild incoherence, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, and brain fog. Each of these symptoms can have a number of far more common causes than carbon monoxide poisoning. This can easily lead to a wrong diagnosis.

Tragically, the link to carbon monoxide as the source of symptoms is commonly missed in emergency rooms, clinics, and doctors offices.

Statistically, two or more people arriving at the same hospital/clinic from the same location with similar symptoms are more likely to be accurately diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning - but there is still a high likelihood of misdiagnosis.

There is no way to know how many cases are misdiagnosed, there are only estimates. Some say for every case of CO poisoning accurately diagnosed, there are at least ten that are misdiagnosed.

Our lives are packed with an almost endless number of sources and circumstances that could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This means there are [potentially] an incredible number of people that are being poisoned carbon monoxide but do not know carbon monoxide is the cause of their symptoms.

Just how large and how deep does the carbon monoxide poisoning "iceberg" go? Nobody knows becasue proper diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning is almost always missed. This makes CO poisoning statistics unreliable.

A heartbreaking consequence of misdiagnosis is that a patient may be discharged and return to the same environment that continues to poison them.

When carbon monoxide deaths or serious poisonings are investigated it is not uncommon to find that victims, sometimes even several members of the same household (or location), had visited a doctor or doctors with symptoms of carbon monoxide toxicity in the days before the final accident.

It is not uncommon for significant additional damage to occur to a victim while they are actually in an emergency room or clinic with elevated levels of carbon monoxide still flowing in their blood stream.

Without proper diagnosis and/or being given oxygen to breath, cells continue to be starved of life-giving oxygen and to be poisoned. The longer unsafe levels of carbon monoxide remain in the blood, the greater the likelihood of damage causing further symptoms.

As a group, health professional don't know enough about carbon monoxide poisoning. They have a limited understanding of the subtleties, impact, and long term symptoms and effects. This commonly translates into inadequate or ineffective treatment for survivors.

What do you have to say? Click here...

I was a health worker myself

Cassandra from UK

I first was referred to a neurologist. He diagnosed atypical migraine. Next went on camping holiday to France and got uncharacteristically upset over any small problems. I was weepy and very very tired. Put it down to stress at work and then realize with holiday hindsite that 2 adults and 2 children getting away from co poisoning and bodies getting fresh air for 2 weeks is a good thing.

I was having to get up earlier and earlier in the mornings to get ready for work. Fatigue really bad. Then sexual problems. Me and husband saw counselors for psychosexual problems. Then saw a psychiatrist. Past trauma got dredged up. I got angry. We split up. I gave up my job and went to study psychology art and history.

After 2 mths working with printers ink it pushed my body over edge. Could not read and couldnt get out of bed. Got suckered by divorce as my ex was no longer in the CO house. By then social workers, cpns, psychologists, psychiatrists and all different treatments were making me seem and feel weirder.

I was doubting my own sanity and at one time believing i was a witch or possessed and looking like an old crone at 35yrs. Was previously told i was stunning and now told i looked like a witch.

My train of thought has gone awry. In some ways seem more intelligent than before more. Hyperalert yet more easily upset distracted and affected.

Thanks for the information Dr. Rogers

CO-Survivor

We have added a link and reference to the Rad 57 in our section on Testing and diagnosis.

Rad 57

Dr. D. M. Rogers from USA

It turns out scientists and engineers have created a simple test for carbon monoxide based on light absorption.

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2005/03/rad57_pulse_coo.html
http://www.aip.org/dbis/stories/2008/18032.html

So next time you are at the ER, ask if their oximiter reports carbon monoxide levels.

Just how professional are professionals?

Jake

I went to my doctor for 4 years for a long list of problems that turned out to be from carbon monoxide exposure.

Every single symptom I had is listed on your site. The vents for my furnace and hot water heater were not properly insulated and the fresh air intake was blocked. So CO was coming into the home when the dryer, bathroom fan, or kitchen exhaust was turned on.

Every year I had the furnace serviced by so called professionals and no one ever said anything. At the same time my so called professional doctor kept diagnosing me with all kinds of things I never had but never even mentioned the possibility of CO poisoning.

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Professional [mis] diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning