Intoxication au monoxyde de carbone chez les enfants

Abstract

Introduction: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common pathology responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Few studies in Tunisia have focused on the pediatric population.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of CO poisoning as well as its clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects.Methods: Our study included observations of CO poisoning in children hospitalized in the pediatric department C of the children's hospital in Tunis, over a period of 3 years.Results: We have collected 199 cases of CO poisoning in children. The average age was 5.43 years with a sex ratio of 0.98. The source of CO was inside the home in 73.2 % of cases and it was the gas bath heater in 68.8 % of cases. The intoxication was collective in 94.9 % of the cases and it occurred during the month of January in 35.8 % of the cases. The clinical manifestations were headaches in 69 % of cases. The rate of carboxyhemoglobin was pathological in 73.9 % of cases. All patients received normobaric oxygen therapy and only 3.6 % of patients had a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session. We did not deplore any case of death in our study.Conclusion: CO poisoning remains a public health problem in our country with high morbidity. The risk of secondary complications, particularly neuropsychiatric, requires clinical and possibly neuroradiological monitoring of these victims.