The most common treatment for exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) is supplemental oxygen. However, additional treatments and interventions may be necessary for those who breathe in large amounts of gas or suffer exposure over a longer period of time.
If you or a loved one required emergency medical care and treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning, you may be eligible to take legal action and recover a payout that covers your medical care, lost wages, and other losses. Call Newsome Melton today at (888) 270-0717 for a free review of your case.
Symptoms of Minor CO Poisoning Generally Disappear with Supplemental Oxygen Treatment
Typically, paramedics and doctors will treat carbon monoxide poisoning with supplemental oxygen. You may begin this treatment quickly after first responders arrive on the scene. You will remain on oxygen in the emergency department, generally with a mask that covers your nose and mouth, according to Cleveland Clinic’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning- Management and Treatment information.
Breathing in oxygen from a mask ensures your oxygen-starved organs and tissues get the oxygen and nutrients they need more quickly. Atmospheric air only contains about one-fifth oxygen.
More Severe Cases of CO Poisoning Require Additional Interventions
Unfortunately, some people who experience CO poisoning are severely affected before they get emergency medical care. When this happens, they may be unconscious, confused, or not breathing. In the most severe cases, they require ventilator support and care in the intensive care unit.
Another option for those with a high concentration of carbon monoxide in their blood is hyperbaric oxygen treatments. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a closed area that holds one patient or several. The doctors fill the chamber with pure oxygen and increase the pressure to two to three times greater than the air outside the chamber.
It is important that the doctors begin hyperbaric oxygen treatment quickly for it to be effective in preventing damage to the patient’s organs. Those who may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment include:
- Patients who present with neurologic deficits
- Unconscious patients
- Patients with cardiac ischemia
- Patients with a high concentration of CO in their blood
- Pregnant women
Some People Require Ongoing Treatment and Care
In some cases, patients who suffer significant injuries related to carbon monoxide exposure require ongoing and future care related to their injuries. Permanent brain damage, as well as damage to other major organs, is possible. Even if lasting damage is not evident, those presenting with serious symptoms may require inpatient and outpatient therapy to recover lost skills.
You May Be Able to Take Legal Action if You Were a Victim of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, and the symptoms of exposure can be difficult to identify. CO prevents your organs and tissues from getting the oxygen they need, and damage can occur quickly. Signs and symptoms include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion and disorientation
- Blurred vision
- Shortness of breath
Eventually, those exposed to high levels of CO will simply fall asleep, becoming unconscious. Death is possible if they do not receive emergency medical treatment.
If you suffered injuries related to carbon monoxide exposure, or if your loved one passed away from CO poisoning, you may be able to take legal action against a facility or venue or a company that manufactures fuel-burning products.
Companies have a responsibility to keep the public safe, including providing safe products and issuing adequate warnings. At Newsome Melton, we can help you identify the potentially liable parties in your case and explain your options to take legal action and hold them accountable. Call us at (888) 270-0717 now.
Talk to a Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Attorney
The carbon monoxide poisoning attorneys from Newsome Melton are reviewing cases now for victims of CO poisoning. If you or a loved one suffered CO exposure in a hotel or other location, because of a keyless ignition vehicle, or because of another product, we will discuss your legal options with you for free today. Call (888) 270-0717 to get started.