Abstract

BARTOLOME NAVARRO, Mª Teresa; AMORES VALENCIANO, Pilar; CUESTA VIZCAINO, Encarnación  and  GALLEGO GIMENEZ, Nuria. Carbon Monoxide poisoning: An undervalued event in the Emergency Department. Rev Clin Med Fam [online]. 2010, vol.3, n.3, pp.220-222. ISSN 2386-8201.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a medical emergency, which if not treated properly could leave considerable neurological sequelae or even cause the death of the patient. The signs and symptoms depend on the intensity of the exposure to the gas and vary according to the degree to which the different organs are affected. Administration of normobaric oxygen (NBO) is the treatment used in most emergency services. This gas is administered until symptoms are resolved and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels have returned to normal. The patient is then discharged with no subsequent follow-up. We present the case of a patient who came to the emergency department due to syncope. We ask ourselves whether the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) compared to NBO decreases neurological sequelae, and if there is scientific evidence for its use in this indication.

Keywords : Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; Carboxyhemoglobin; Hyperbaric Oxygenation.

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