However, many of these devices require the user to inhale deeply and hold their breath to allow the CO in the blood to escape into the lung before the measurement can be made. As this is not possible in people who are unresponsive, these devices may not appropriate for use in on-scene emergency care detection of CO poisoning. Differential diagnosis
There are many conditions to be considered in the differential diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning. The earliest symptoms, especially from low level exposures, are often non-specific and readily confused with other illnesses, typically flu-like viral syndromes, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, chest pain, and migraine or other headaches. Carbon monoxide has been called a "great mimicker" due to the presentation of poisoning being diverse and nonspecific. Other conditions included in the differential diagnosis include acute respiratory distress syndrome, altitude sickness, lactic acidosis, diabetic ketoacidosis, meningitis, methemoglobinemia, or opioid or toxic alcohol poisoning. Treatment
Initial treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning is to immediately remove the person from the exposure without endangering further people. Those who are unconscious may require CPR on site. Administering oxygen via non-rebreather mask shortens the half-life of carbon monoxide from 320 minutes, when breathing normal air, to only 80 minutes. Oxygen hastens the dissociation of carbon monoxide from carboxyhemoglobin, thus turning it back into hemoglobin. Due to the possible severe effects in the baby, pregnant women are treated with oxygen for longer periods of time than non-pregnant people.
Prognosis
In keeping with their assignment as WHO grade 1, pilocytic astrocytoma is not usually associated with recurrence after complete resection. The pilomyxoid astrocytoma variant may behave more aggressively than classic pilocytic astrocytoma, but this might also be associated with the younger age at presentation and their more frequent midline location. In cases of progressive/recurrent disease or when maximal surgical removal has been achieved but some residual tumor remains, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may be considered by the medical team. Incidence
Regularly updated statistics about the incidence, epidemiology, and survival outcomes of brain tumors can be found in the annual reports of the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS). These figures suggest that an average of just over 1,000 pilocytic astrocytomas are diagnosed per year in the US, representing about 1% of all CNS tumors. In children, however, the proportion is much higher. Pilocytic astrocytoma is the single most common childhood brain tumor, accounting for almost 20% of brain tumors diagnosed in 0-14 year-olds, with a peak incidence between 5–14 years of age. Additional images
References


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