Draft 22

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when the oxygen (O₂) bound to hemoglobin in healthy red blood cells becomes replaced with carbon monoxide (CO). Because of this, the red blood cells are unable to engage in gas transfer with surrounding cells, resulting in cell death and tissue damage. Carbon monoxide poisoning has traditionally been treated by adminstering patients with pure O₂. However, a recently published study details a new possibility of treatment. Zazzerzon et al. exploited the ability of light to effectively unbind CO from hemoglobin in an extracorporeal apparatus¹. Using this light treatment, Zazzerzon et al. saw a doubling in the CO removal rate in rats with healthy lungs when compared to treatment with oxygen alone, and a threefold increase in CO removal rate in rats with damaged lungs versus oxygen treatment¹. This treatment can be ideal for patient care, since carbon monoxide poisoning mustbe dealt with swiftly in order to ensure decreased tissue damage.