Predicting duration of mechanical ventilation in patients with carbon monoxide poisoning: a retrospective study

Patients with severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning may develop acute respiratory failure, which needs endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV). The objective of this study was to identify the predictors for duration of MV in patients with severe CO poisoning and acute respiratory failure.

This is a retrospective observational study of 796 consecutive patients diagnosed with acute CO poisoning that presented to the emergency department. Patients who received MV were divided into 2 groups: the early extubation (EE) consisting of patients who were on MV for less than 72 hours and the nonearly extubation (NEE) consisting of patients who were on MV for more than 72 hours. Demographic and clinical data of the two groups were extracted for analysis.

The intubation rate of all CO-poisoned patients was 23.4%. A total of 168 patients were enrolled in this study. The main source of CO exposure was intentional CO poisoning by charcoal burning (137 patients). Positive toxicology screening result was found in 104 patients (61.9%). The EE group had 105 patients (62.5%). On arriving at the emergency department, high incidence of hypotension; high white blood cell count; and elevation of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and troponin-I levels were statistically significant in the NEE group (P < .05). Positive toxicology screening result was statistically significant in the EE group (P < .05). In a multivariate analysis, elevation of troponin-I level was an independent factor for NEE (odds ratio, 1.305; 95% confidence interval, 1.024-1.663; P = .032). Positive toxicology screening result was an independent factor for EE (odds ratio, 0.222; 95% confidence interval, 0.101-0.489; P = .001).

A positive toxin screen predicts extubation within the first 72 hours for patients with severe CO poisoning and acute respiratory failure. On the other hand, elevation of initial troponin-I level is a predictor for a longer duration of MV.