Karboksühemoglobiin

Karboksühemoglobiin is a compound formed when hemoglobin binds with carbon monoxide. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials. When inhaled, carbon monoxide has a much higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen, meaning it preferentially binds to hemoglobin.

This binding forms carboxyhemoglobin, which is a stable complex. The formation of carboxyhemoglobin reduces the amount of hemoglobin available to transport oxygen. This leads to a condition known as carbon monoxide poisoning. The severity of poisoning depends on the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air and the duration of exposure. Symptoms can range from mild, such as headache and dizziness, to severe, including confusion, loss of consciousness, and even death.

Sources of carbon monoxide exposure include faulty furnaces, gas stoves, car exhaust, and smoke from fires. Detecting and removing the source of carbon monoxide is crucial for treatment. The body can eventually eliminate carboxyhemoglobin, but this process is slow. In cases of severe poisoning, breathing pure oxygen or hyperbaric oxygen therapy can accelerate the removal of carbon monoxide from the blood.