What is the suspected cause of headache, nausea, and confusion in a patient with superficial burns following a house fire?

The presence of headache, nausea, and confusion in a patient with superficial burns following a house fire is indicative of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. When a fire occurs, the incomplete combustion of materials often produces carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be dangerously toxic.

As the patient inhales smoke, the carbon monoxide readily binds to hemoglobin in the blood, forming carboxyhemoglobin, which decreases the blood's ability to transport oxygen. This results in tissue hypoxia, leading to neurological symptoms such as headache, confusion, and nausea, commonly seen in cases of CO poisoning.

While smoke inhalation can contribute but it is broader and includes a variety of toxic components from combustion. Other potential complications related to thermal injury and dehydration can occur, but they do not specifically account for the neurological symptoms presented in this scenario. Carbon dioxide poisoning is less likely to cause these symptoms and is generally not a direct result of house fires in the same manner as carbon monoxide. Thus, the suspected cause of the symptoms described aligns most closely with carbon monoxide poisoning.