Relationship among mini mental status examination scores, blood carboxyhemoglobin level and poisoning severity in carbon monoxide poisoning

Abstract

Objective: Carbonmonoxide poisoning (COP) is one of the causes of hypoxic encephalopathy. Mini-Mental Status Examination Scale (MMSES) is useful for evaluating the severity of hypoxic encephalopathy. The aim this study is to investigate in the relationship between the severity of poisoning, carboxyhemoglobin (CoHb) levels and the MMSES among patients who admitted to the emergeny department with carbonmonoxide poisoning.
Material and Method: In our study patients who were diagnosed as acute COP between the dates of February 2006 and February 2007 at Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine Emergency Department were evaluated prospectively. According to the severity of poisoning patients were subdivided into three groups of mild, moderate and severe.
Results: Fifty-one patients were included in our study. Proportion of females to males was 1.125. Average age of the patients at admission was 38.4±16.5. Frequency of carbonmonoxide poisoning among all admissions was 0.35% and frequency among all posioning cases was 7.89 %.
Headache, nausea, dizziness and weakness were the most frequent accompanied symptoms. Accoording to the severity of poisoning, 20 of the patients (39.2 %) had mild, 25 of the patients (49 %) had moderate and 6 of the patients (11.7 %) had serious level of poisoning.
Despite the relationship between severity of poisoning and COHb level was not meaningful, the relationship MMSES and COHb level and between MMSES and severity of poisoning were meaningful.
Conclusion: The MMSE score of the patients admitted to the emergency depatment has negative correlation with the severity of the poisoning and the CoHb levels.