1. Working with the car engine running in a closed garage suggests that Smita might be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning.
2. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a dangerous gas formed when fuels burn incompletely in automobile engines.
3. Due to haemoglobin’s strong attraction to carbon monoxide, it forms a stable compound called carboxyhaemoglobin. This reduces available haemoglobin for oxygen transport, leading to oxygen deprivation in cells.
4. Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure often include throbbing headache, drowsiness, breathlessness, and fainting. In severe cases, it can lead to unconsciousness, convulsions, cardiovascular failure, coma, and eventual death.
5. She can be treated through:
Oxygen Treatment:
Inhaling pure oxygen through high-dose oxygen treatment is the most effective method.
Oxygen Chamber:
Medical professionals may temporarily place individuals in a pressurized oxygen chamber, also known as a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.