Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and
tasteless product of incomplete fuel combustion, whose ubiquitous but
silent presence accounts for it being the leading cause of poisoning
death in the United States. CO poisoning may account for as many as
5,000 deaths each year in the United States, with an additional 10,000
patients seeking medical attention for toxic exposure.1– CO
poisoning may be deliberate (as reported in this issue of
CHEST [see page 580]) or accidental; in the latter case,
it may be acute,2 subacute,3– or
chronic.4