Oxidative stress increases in carbon monoxide poisoning patients.

OBJECTIVE

Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in toxicological cases. In this study, we aimed to find out more about the pathophysiology of COP by investigating the effects of COP on oxidative stress parameters such as total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS).

METHODS

Eighty-eight patients admitted to the emergency department of our hospital with acute COP and 35 healthy adults as control group were included in this study. Blood samples were collected from all COP patients at the time of initial emergency department evaluation to determine the oxidative stress parameters. Then, serum levels of total antioxidant status and total oxidant status levels were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 88 patients poisoned by carbon monoxide (CO; mean age 37.1 ± 18.2 years; 54'% women) were enrolled. TOS and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in COP patients were increased when compared to control group (p = 0.001). TOS, oxidative stress index (OSI) and COHb levels in COP patients were significantly lower after the treatment. (respectively, p = 0.016; p = 0.023; p = 0.001). On the other hand, no statistical differences were observed in TAS levels of study and control group as well as there were no changes with treatment.

CONCLUSION

Measurements of TOS, TAS and OSI levels may be useful markers to find out the pathophsiology of COP.