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12.4 Asphyxiants

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13 views15 pages

12.4 Asphyxiants

Uploaded by

Sakshi Mehta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CARBON MONOXIDE

(CARBONIC OXIDE GAS)


(Respiratory poison)

Dr. Sandip B. Patil


HOD & Professor
DEPARTMENT OF AGADTANTRA
Shree RMD Ayurved College, Valsad
DESCRIPTION :
 It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-irritative
gas which burns with blue flame.
 CO is produced due to incomplete combustion of
carbon and therefore CO is present in Coal gas, all
burning devices, kilns, mines, combustion engines
and exhaust gas of vehicles.

 MECHANISM OF ACTION :
1) CO has 200-300 times greater affinity for
haemoglobin than oxygen and therefore it produces
carboxy haemoglobin, hence reducing the oxygen
content of blood and tissues.
Thus it acts as a chemical asphyxiant.
2) CO also exerts direct toxic effects by binding to
cellular cytochromes.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS :
 The features of poisoning depend upon the
percentage of carboxyhaemoglobin present in the
blood.
 Senility, respiratory or circulatory deficiencies,
anaemia and depressive drugs reduce the
minimum lethal saturation level.
 COHb upto 30% is mild poisoning, 30-40% is
moderate poisoning and beyond 40% is severe
poisoning.
 To confirm COHB - to2 drops of blood, add 15
ml water add 5 drops of 25% NaOH - pink colour
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS :
S.No. COHb Signs and Symptoms
1. 0-10% No appreciable features.
2. 10-20% Breathlessness, headache, flushed skin.
3. 20-30% All as above and throbbing headache, buzzing in
ears, muscle weakness and incoordination,
dyspnea.
4. 30-40% All as above and dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
collapse on exertion, loss of memory, mental
confusion and diminution of vision.
5. 40-50% All the above mentioned features intensified,
staggering, palpitation and retinal haemorrhages.
6. 50-70% All the above and asphyxial convulsions, coma,
respiratory paralysis and death
7. Above 70% Rapidly fatal due to respiratory arrest.
WIKIPEDIA :
CO POISONING
 CHEMICAL TESTS :
1) Shake 1 drop of blood in 15 ml water pink colour
(with normal blood - yellow)
2) To 1 ml blood add 10 ml water and 1ml of 5% NaOH :
- Brown colour - normal blood
- Yellow colour - < 20% COHb
- Pink colour > 20% COHb

 OTHER FEATURES :
 Patches on skin, blisters, albumin and sugar in urine,
bronchopneumonia and oedema of lungs and brain.
CHRONIC POISONING :
 Nausea, digestive disturbances, dyspnoea,
palpitation and gradually increasing CNS
damage.
 FATAL DOSE AND FATAL PERIOD

- CO concentration in atmosphere upto 0.01% is


safe.
- Concentration of 0.1% produces 50% COHb
level in 2-3 hours.
- Concentration of 1% produces 50% COHb level
in 15-20 minutes.
- Concentration of 7-10% produces 50% COHb
level and leads to death in 2-5 minutes.
SEVERITY OF POISONING :
 If exposure of carbon monoxide (in hours) X
concentration of CO in atmosphere in parts per
10,000.
= 6- No effect.
= 9 - Just perceptible effects.
= 15 - Dangerous level.
TREATMENT :
 Care of respiration.

 Blood transfusion.

 SC adrenaline and coramine.

 IV mannitol & dextrose.


POST MORTEM APPEARANCE :
 Skin is bright cherry red.
 Froth at nose and mouth.

 Blood is cherry red.

 All viscera is cherry red.

 Haemorrhages are seen in GIT, lungs, heart and


brain.
 Oedema of lungs

and brain.
 In fatal cases,

COHb level is
usually beyond 60%
MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS :
- Is very popular suicidal agent in Western
countries.
- In India poisoning is usually accidental.
- A 1-2 cm layer of liquid paraffin is used to
preserve blood for chemical analysis.
- City dwellers and smokers may have 3-5% COHb
in blood.
- With chlorine forms carbonyl chloride (phosgene) -
a very poisonous gas.
- Putrefaction does not affect COHb levels.
CARBON DIOXIDE
(CARBONIC ACID GAS)
(Respiratory poison)
 Atmospheric air normally contains 0.4% of
Carbon dioxide.
MECHANISM OF ACTION :
 Acts as asphyxiant. CO2 snow is corrosive.

SIGNS SYMPTOMS :
 Vary with the concentration of carbon dioxide in
atmosphere.
With pure carbon dioxide : Spasm of glottis,
vagal inhibition and sudden death.
Up to 2% :- Increase in rate and depth of
respiration.
About 5% :- Laboured breathing.
Upto 20%: - Respiratory discomfort.
At 40% :- Dyspnoea, discomfort, muscle
weakness, fall of BP.
 At 50% - Dyspnoea, tightness in chest, ringing in
ears, fullness in head, drowsiness,
unconsciousness and coma.
 At 60-80% - Immediate unconsciousness and
rapid death.
FATAL DOSE & FATAL PERIOD :
 The minimum fatal concentration is 25-30% and
high concentration of 60 - 80% may cause rapid
death.
TREATMENT :
 Symptomatic.

POST MORTEM APPEARANCE :


 Features of asphyxia.

MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS :
 Poisoning is usually accidental.

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