[Carbon monoxide poisoning in children hospitalized in the pediatric institute in Lódz in the years 1994-1997]. / Zatrucie tlenkiem wegla u dzieci hospitalizowanych w Instytucie Pediatrii w Lodzi w latach 1994-1997.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the major cause of inhalation intoxications among children. Tissue hypoxia plays the important role in the pathophysiology of CO poisoning. Especially the CNS and heart are the most susceptible organs to the oxygen deficiency. Presented signs and symptoms are nonspecific and often lead to misdiagnosis. In this article authors present 100 children, aged from 4 weeks to 15 years, hospitalized in the Pediatrics Institute in the period 1994-1997 after carbon monoxide exposition. The most frequent symptoms of this poisoning were headache (46%) and dizziness (25%). We also observed abdominal pain, vomitus, fatigue, weakness and syncope. We estimated the frequency of CO poisoning in relation to the total number of intoxications in children treated in our hospital, clinical course and relationship with carboxyhemoglobin concentration. The analysis shows that CO poisoning is an important and growing toxicological problem among children.

Neuropsychologic and functional recovery from severe carbon monoxide poisoning without hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that neuropsychologic test results and functional outcome will be abnormal if hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is not used in patients with severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. METHODS: For a 1-year interval, we retrospectively identified all CO-poisoned patients who were comatose on presentation at a large, urban tertiary hospital and did not receive HBO therapy. Prospectively, 6 and 12 months after CO poisoning, we administered standardized questionnaires to assess functional outcome. At 6 months, we performed extensive neuropsychologic testing. RESULTS: All four patients exhibited normal performance on a neuropsychologic test battery at 6 months. The Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination was normal in all patients. All patients had normal functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: Normal neuropsychologic and functional outcomes are possible after severe CO poisoning without the use of HBO therapy.

Computerised tomography as an indication of long-term outcome after acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

21 patients with acute carbon-monoxide poisoning had repeated brain scans by computerised tomography (CT) between May, 1977 and June, 1979. On the basis of the initial CT findings, the 21 patients could be divided into two distinct groups. In 11, areas of low density were seen bilaterally in the globus pallidus. These areas were still present 3 months after initial CT. In all but one of these patients the outcome was poor. The remaining 10 had no abnormal findings on their initial brain CT scans; outcome was good in this group.