Monitoring
Observe patients for at least 4 hours after exposure.[10] Assess the patient’s recovery in terms of resolution of their symptoms.[22] Continue treatment until the patient’s carboxyhaemoglobin level has fallen to a normal value, and the patient is asymptomatic.[17]
There are no specific guidelines regarding the discharge of patients. However, patients with mild symptoms that resolve with high-flow oxygen therapy (usually those patients with carboxyhaemoglobin <10%) and no loss of consciousness can be discharged from the emergency department. At the time of discharge, source identification is important to prevent and eliminate recurrent exposures. Some studies support the use of neuropsychometric testing during the recovery period.[15]
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