Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
Visual loss as a late complication of carbon monoxide poisoning and its successful treatment with hyperbaric oxygen
Dilaver Ersanli1, Senol Yildiz, Erdem Togrol
1Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Kadiköy/Istanbul, Turkey.
Purpose:
To present recovery from vision loss due to CO poisoning with Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) therapy in two patients.
Methods:
Two female patients developed visual deterioration after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Clinical examination, including visual acuity assessment, visual field examination and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) before and after the HBO therapy were performed.
Results:
In Case 1 the visual loss started on the third day with visual acuity at the level of perception of hand movements at 10 cm in the right eye and finger count at 10 cm in the left eye. The visual evoked potentials (VEPs) had low amplitudes and prolonged (128 msec bilaterally) latencies (implicit times). After 48 sessions and 52 days of HBO therapy, the visual acuity became 0.2 in the right eye and 0.15 in the left eye. Visual field examination revealed homonymous right lower quadrant anopsia. The VEPs also improved. In Case 2 the visual acuity was 0.2 in the right eye and 0.1 in the left eye on the 6th day following the accident when the patient was admitted for treatment. The VEP latencies were within normal limits. After 36 days and 35 sessions of HBO therapy, the visual acuity became 0.7 on both eyes. The visual fields completely normalised. The VEP latencies in this case also became shorter.
Conclusion:
It appears that the adverse effects of CO poisoning continue to progress during the late period and we believe that HBO treatment in this period may still be effective and will prevent some of the neurological sequelae such as visual loss from becoming permanent. Clinical, neurological, neuropsychological, visual outcome seems to be favourable even if HBO treatment started as late as 6 or 8 days after the exposure to CO.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Oxygen Therapy for Respiratory Failure
Oxygen therapy is vital in increasing and maintaining blood oxygen levels in PAH patients. As a result, it aids in reducing fatigue, improving...
01:23Hypoxia
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
01:30Acute Respiratory Failure-III
01:29Acute Respiratory Failure-V
Ensure that patients are monitored continuously for their response to therapy, including changes in...
01:23Physiological Control of Respiration
Breathing, a seemingly passive process, is regulated by the respiratory center in the brainstem. This center coordinates the involuntary control of respirations, which means it occurs without conscious effort, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted pattern.
Regulation of Ventilation
The body maintains ventilation by monitoring levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in the arterial blood. Among these factors, the level of CO2 plays a crucial...