Of patients who were hospitalized and treated for moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning, those who sustained heart muscle injury due to their exposure had an increased risk of death during a mid-point follow-up period of 7.6 years compared to those without injury to the heart.

Despite a decline in the annual death rate from carbon monoxide ( CO ) poisoning, CO remains the most common type of accidental poisoning in the United Sates, contributing to 40,000 emergency department visits each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reported that from 1968 through 1998 carbon monoxide poisoning contributed to an average of 1,091 unintentional deaths and 2,385 suicidal deaths in the U.S. annually.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include weakness, nausea, dizziness, lethargy, confusion and headache. In addition to neurological effects, heart damage has also often been reported in carbon monoxide poisoning cases.

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