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The best index of oxygen transport for a patient who has been resuscitated after carbon monoxide poisoning is arterial oxygen content. In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, the primary issue impacting oxygen transport is the binding of carbon monoxide to hemoglobin, which prevents hemoglobin from effectively carrying oxygen.

Arterial oxygen content reflects the total amount of oxygen carried in the blood, which includes both the amount bound to hemoglobin and the amount dissolved in plasma. In this context, even if hemoglobin saturation appears to be normal based on pulse oximetry readings, it can be misleading because carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin and can still give a false sense of safety in terms of saturation readings, often remaining at a high level while the patient is actually hypoxic.

Thus, evaluating the arterial oxygen content provides a more accurate assessment of how much oxygen is truly available for transport to the tissues. This evaluation is crucial for managing a patient recovering from carbon monoxide exposure, as it ensures that treatment can be effectively tailored to address the specific deficits in oxygen transport caused by the poisoning.

In contrast, while cardiac output and PaCO2 levels can be important in evaluating a patient's overall status, they do not specifically capture the critical impact of carbon monoxide on oxygen transport as directly as