What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on the carboxyhemoglobin half-life during hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an 81-year-old male patient with carbon monoxide poisoning and lung dysfunction.
What They Found
The patient's initial carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level was 34.4%, decreasing to 5.9% before hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) and 3.3% after 22 minutes at 3 atmospheres absolute (ATA) HBO₂. The calculated COHb half-life was 95 minutes before HBO₂ and an estimated 53 minutes during HBO₂ at 3 ATA, which is longer than the commonly cited 23 minutes. This longer half-life was attributed to the patient's respiratory failure and lung dysfunction.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a case report, the findings are based on a single patient and may not be generalizable to all carbon monoxide poisoned individuals.