Journal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology
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J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. · Jan 2001
Case ReportsCardiac damage in pediatric carbon monoxide poisoning.
Cardiovascular disorders including myocardial ischemia and heart failure have been described in both laboratory animals and humans following carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide cardiotoxicity may be clinically occult and often remains undiagnosed because of the lack of overt symptoms and specific ischemic changes in the electrocardiogram. Routine myocardial necrosis markers have low diagnostic efficiency, particularly in patients with concomitant skeletal muscle necrosis or multiple organ failure complicating carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide-induced cardiotoxicity has been investigated rarely in children. ⋯ This case report supports that a prolonged carbon monoxide exposure can cause cardiac damage in children even in the absence of specific symptoms, cerebral failure and high carboxyhemoglobin concentrations.
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J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. · Jan 2001
Epidemiology of acute carbon monoxide poisoning in a Spanish region.
In Spain, as in most of the world, the incidence of acute carbon monoxide poisoning is probably underestimated. ⋯ Compared with previous Spanish series or with the antecedent year, acute carbon monoxide poisoning has a high prevalence in our region. Two factors appear to be essential to the accurate diagnosis of acute carbon monoxide poisoning: 1) the ability of emergency room physicians to recognize the clinical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and 2) access to a carbon monoxide-oximeter.