Summary: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can kill without warning because it is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Many people who are poisoned are affected while they sleep and are unaware that the toxic gas is being released. In this podcast, Robert E. Rosenthal, M.D., describes the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and where it comes from. Speaking with Cindy Rivers, Dr. Rosenthal discusses what you can do to prevent exposure to carbon monoxide and how CO poisoning is treated, sometimes in a hyperbaric chamber. He also describes an early warning device that can alert you when carbon monoxide reaches unsafe levels. Dr. Rosenthal is head of hyperbaric medicine at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center located at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He is also a professor of emergency medicine and anesthesiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
