A 35-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with a headache, dizziness, and confusion. He was found in his garage where he had been working on his car with the garage door closed. Which of the following findings would most strongly support a diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning in this patient?
Carboxyhemoglobin levels above 10% in non-smokers can confirm a diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially when correlated with the clinical presentation and exposure history. The symptoms of headache, dizziness, and confusion are common in cases of carbon monoxide exposure, and elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels further support this diagnosis. Pulse oximetry readings can be normal in carbon monoxide poisoning because it measures oxygen saturation, not carbon monoxide levels. X-ray findings are generally not helpful in diagnosing carbon monoxide poisoning as they do not reveal gas levels. The presence of flu-like symptoms alone would not be definitive without measuring carboxyhemoglobin levels.
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BCEN CEN
Environment and Toxicology Emergencies, and Communicable Diseases
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