Arab Board EM Final Written

Practice session

A 26-year-old pregnant woman (at 28 weeks gestation) is rescued from a house with a faulty gas furnace. She presents with severe headache, nausea, dizziness, and confusion. Her standard pulse oximeter reads 99% on room air, but co-oximetry blood gas reveals a carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of 22%. Why is standard pulse oximetry unreliable, and what is the definitive therapy?

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