This prospective study was designed to investigate the clinical consequence of neuropsychiatric sequelae generated by acute carbon monoxide poisoning. For this study, 167 subjects who received the hospital emergency care for acute carbon monoxide poisoning during the period of November 1983 to December 1983 were selected from the emergency patients' lists of two general hospitals in Incheon area. Among them only 73 subjects could be followed up completely. Informations on the clinical consequence of neuropsychiatric sequelae were collected by 4-time-home visiting on the 10th, 30th, 70th and 180th day after acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Interviewers interviewed each family with pre-arranged questionnaire and the author performed neuropsychiatric examination for himself. The results were as follows: 1. During the 180 days after acute carbon monoxide poisoning, four types of clinical consequence were revealed. Full recovery rate was 83.6%, partial recovery rate 4.1%, delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae rate 6.8%, and death rate was 5.5%. 2. The prevalence rates of neuropsychiatric sequelae at the 2nd, 10th, 30th, 70th and 180th day were 50.7%, 32.9%, 15.1%, 15.1% and 13.7%, respectively. After the 30th day of acute carbon monoxide poisoning, no significant change of prevalence rates was observed and about half of total prevalence rate was occupied by mild and moderate degree neuropsychiatric sequelae (5.4%~8.2%). 3. After 30th day of acute carbon monoxide poisoning, there was no significant difference of the prevalence rates of neuropsychiatric sequelae among each age groups except below-19-year-old group, and prevalence rate in the female group was about three times higher than the male group. The poorer the consciousness level of the subject at emergency room was, the higher the prevalence rate was. Those of the stuporous, semicomatose and comatose groups were 4 to 20 times higher than the clear and drowsy groups. The prevalence rate of neuropsychiatric sequelae by emergency treatment was 5 to 10 times higher in hyperbaric oxygen therapy group than in 100% oxygen group. 4. At each time observed, as many as 60~90% of subjects with neuropsychiatric sequelae received no treatment at all.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Incheon ; Male ; Mortality ; Oxygen ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stupor