title: Cerebrovascular ischaemia after carbon monoxide intoxication.
abstract: Carbon monoxide intoxication is the most prevalent cause of death from carbon monoxide poisoning. We herein report the case of a 56-year-old man who was found unconscious and smelled of smoke after exposure to carbon monoxide from a heater. He scored 5 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, and had respiratory insufficiency and elevated troponin I, creatine kinase-MB fraction and carboxyhaemoglobin levels. He was treated by mechanical ventilation. After regaining consciousness, brain magnetic resonance imaging showed diffusion restriction in the left occipital lobe; there was a loss of vision (right temporal hemianopsia), which improved by the follow-up session. Carbon monoxide intoxication may cause neurologic and cardiac sequelae, and the initial treatment includes oxygen therapy. Acute carbon monoxide poisoning can cause serious injury to the brain, heart and other organs; the most severe damages that could be inflicted to the brain include cerebral ischaemia and hypoxia, oedema, and neural cell degeneration and necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, 42250, Konya, Turkey. hasankara42@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayir
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Degirmenci
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000737:chemistry; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form / Q000097:blood; D004058:Diffusion; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D000860:Hypoxia; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D019210:Troponin I; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form