The gas that poisoned a family on holiday in Corfu is present in all homes. So why do doctors often miss signs of carbon monoxide exposure?

By Dr. Ed Walker
The Independent (UK)

Most people know a thing or two about toxic gas. It's usually green, or possibly yellow, like the poison gas you hear of in First World War accounts, or see the Joker using in Batman movies. It will make you cough and choke, but thankfully the effects can be avoided by the simple expedient of holding a handkerchief over your mouth.

Unfortunately, none of the above applies to one of the most poisonous gases on the planet. Like many really nasty toxins, this one is a gift from Mother Nature. Carbon monoxide is so simple that it can be made by anyone with access to a car whose catalytic converter is not yet warmed up. Or, even easier, just find a gas fire and block its flue.

Until the mid-Sixties, thousands of people every year killed themselves with carbon monoxide (CO), usually - like the poet Sylvia Plath - by sticking their heads in unlit gas ovens. Murderers, like the wartime killer John Christie of Rillington Place, had a handy tool literally on tap. Then, most domestic gas was "coal gas", made by partly burning coal in huge retorts and piping the resulting fumes - which held high concentrations of CO - into people's homes.

Full Story: The Silent Killer: Why do doctors often miss signs of CO exposure?