Scientists have discovered a potential treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning, which could save lives and spare survivors from long-term health issues.
According to Science News, researchers have successfully tested a new drug on mice with carbon monoxide poisoning. The animals eliminated the CO through their urine and did not exhibit high blood pressure afterward.
The drug was engineered from bacteria called Paraburkholderia xenovorans, which contains a protein called RcoM. The scientists adjusted RcoM to create a version that removed half the CO in the mice's red blood cells in less than a minute.
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs because the gas binds to hemoglobin, pushing out the oxygen in red blood cells. Bodily tissues need this oxygen to function. The CO suffocates the red blood cells, causing dizziness, confusion, headaches, and in severe cases, death.
Mark Gladwin, a critical care physician and biochemist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said, "The most common poisoning in the world is carbon monoxide poisoning… And we really don't have an antidote," per Science News.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 100,000 Americans visit the ER due to CO poisoning that wasn't caused by fires every year. Approximately 14,000 are hospitalized, and 400 die.
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CO poisonings have been increasing due to extreme weather events and power outages, per PBS. They can lead to wildfires and gas leaks that create CO. While extreme weather and grid instability are still problems, this medical discovery could make CO poisonings far less fatal.
Even those who survive serious CO poisonings can experience chronic headaches, fatigue, memory issues, nausea, hearing loss, and more for the rest of their lives. Being able to remove the CO from the body in less than 60 seconds is a triumph.
First responders might be able to use this life-saving drug without worrying about adverse effects.
Jesus Tejero from the University of Pittsburgh explained, "As long as [the drug] is safe, even if you're not 100 percent sure that this person has [carbon monoxide] poisoning, you can administer to them."
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This discovery could save thousands of lives, making one of the deadliest and most common types of poisoning less threatening.
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