A clinical study of acute carbon monoxide intoxication

Abstract

To obtain the basic data of prognosis of acute carbon monoxide(CO) intoxication, one hundred and sixteen cases of CO intoxication defined by carboxyhemoglobin(COHb) and admitted via emergency room of Yeungnam University Hospital from Oct. '85 to April' 89 have been clinically analyzed and evaluated, including delayed postanoxic encephalopathy(DPE) and the following results were obtained. 1. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.5 and mental state was drowsy mostly(26.2% of 116 cases) 2. The more disturbed the mental state, the more decreased was the arterial pH and , which may be the result of metabolic acidosis. 3. The early laboratory findings in patients of CO intoxication were as follows : leukocytosis-65.5%, increase of hematocrit-23.3%, hyperglycemia-19.8%, increase of GPT-19.8% increase of creatinine-0.9%, and glucosuria-12.1%. 4. The early findings of EKG were abnormal in 35.3% : change of rhythm-25.0%, abnormal ST segment-15.5% (change of rhythm and abonormal ST segment-5.2%) but the conduction disorder was not present. 5. The abnormal EEG above mild degree was 93.1%, of which moderate was most frequent(80.2%). 6. The incidence of DPE was 7.8% among all admitted CO patients. DPE cases had long duration of exposure time(8 hours), severe leukocytosis(20,000) and an abnormal EEG(MA).