When you have carbon monoxide poisoning and you put on a 100% oxygen mask, will the CO react with the O to make CO2 which the body will exhale?

Answer 1

That dosent seem to work out :S
Everyone says that the best treatment is putting a 100% oxygen mask on the person. Why do that?

Answer 2

Both CO and excessive CO2 are bad. CO is worst because it prevents binding of O2 to hemoglobin in the blood. However both have the effect of depriving the body of sufficient O2. The immediate treatment is to get away from the CO source and administer O2 so that the level of O2 in the blood climbs back to normal.

Answer 3

Thanks :)

Answer 4

This is another example of Le Chatelier's Principle. As Damon points out, the CO binds with the hemoglobin and that prevents hemoglobin from binding with oxygen (because the CO-Heme bond is much stronger than the O2-Heme bond. When we breathe in, the CO2 rich hemoglobin forces the CO2 out and hemoglobin binds with O2 and we exhale the CO2. The oxygen rich hemoglobin then circulates throughout the body and in the lungs the O2/CO2 exchange again occurs where the CO2 binds to the hemoglobin (because it is in excess) and the oxygen is released to the body. That cycle repeats itself every time we inhale and exhale. But if CO binds to the hemoglobin, it doesn't want to let go and exchange as the CO2/O2 will. Again, as Damon points out, the idea is to flood the system with oxygen, force the CO out, replace it with O2, and let the hemoglobin/O2 mixture resume its normal CO2/O2 cycle.