Assessment of Exposure To Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Patients

Abstract

Carbon monoxide poisoning is associated with high mortality and substantial risk of brain damage and persistent or delayed neurologic effect in survivors. There was a major need to find a biochemical serum marker which can evaluate acute brain injury in carbon monoxide poisoning, screen for cognitive dysfunction from CO poisoning and to find a scoring system that may help in prediction of severity and mortality in CO poisoning and determine type of treatment. Cardiovascular sequelae of CO poisoning may be clinically occult and remains undiagnosed due to lack of overt symptoms and ischemic changes in the ECG. The advent of newer more sensitive and specific markers capable of detecting minor degrees of cardiac damage may enable the clinicians to pick patients suffering from acute CO cardiotoxicity. This study was carried out on 62 carbon monoxide poisoning patients admitted to the Poison Control Center (PCC), Ain Shames University Hospitals from January 2007 to June 2008. In addition, 15 healthy nonsmoker volunteers that matched the demographic parameters of patient groups were included in the study (Group I; Control group). The patient groups were divided into 3 groups(Group II to Group IV). included 20 patients with mild acute carbon monoxide poisoning and were presented with headache, nausea, vomiting or blurred vision, Group III included 15 patients with moderate acute carbon monoxide poisoning and were presented with confusion and history of syncope, Group IV included 27 patients with severe acute carbon monoxide poisoning and were presented with coma. All groups were subjected to the following: Sociodemographic classification: It included data regarding age , sex, occupation and area of residence(Urban or rural),duration and delay time of exposure were also noted . Clinical assessment: Clinical evaluation of the patients was carried out regarding eyes, skin, temperature ,respiratory system,CVS,