Question

Blood analysis of a patient reveals an unusually high quantity of carboxyhaemoglobin content. Which of the following couclusions is most likely to be correct ?

• A. The patient has been inhaling polluted air containing high carbon disuphide content
• B. The patient has been inhaling polluted air containing high chloroform content
• C. The patient has been inhaling polluted air containing high carbon dioxide content
• D. The patient has been inhaling polluted air containing usually high carbon monoxide content

Answer 1

The correct option is D The patient has been inhaling polluted air containing usually high carbon monoxide content

If the blood analysis of a patient reveals an unsually high quantity of carboxyhaemoglobin, it can be concluded that the patient has been inhaling polluted air containing high carbon monoxide content.
Carbon monoxide forms a stable compound with haemoglobin called carboxyhaemoglobin, since affinity of haemoglobin for carbon monoxide is 200 times greater than its affinity for oxygen. In this form, haemoglobin does not carry oxygen, eventually resulting in death due to lack of oxygen in tissues.
$\underset{\left(Haemoglobin\right)}{Hb}+CO⟶\underset{\left(Carboxyhaemoglobin\right)}{HbCO}$