Myonecrosis in carbon monoxide poisoning

Myonecrosis is an unusual sequelae to carbon monoxide poisoning with only 16 cases having been reported in the English-language literature. At the University of Illinois Hospital, we encountered a 25-year-old fire academy student who presented to our Emergency Department with a carboxyhemoglobin level of 16% following a training exercise in a smoke-filled room. The patient was not wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus and his duration of exposure was 7-8 min, by which time he had blacked out for about 1 min. Upon arrival, the patient was lethargic, with a moderate inhalation burn. The patient was treated with hyperbaric oxygen at 2 1/2 ATA. Following 90 min of hyperbaric oxygen, slight flexor compartment weakness, along with tenderness of the proximal lower extremities was noted. CPK was elevated to 65,998 (100% mm) with urine dipstick being positive for blood and only occasional rbc's seen in the urine sediment. The patient did well with forced diuresis and alkalinization of the urine. No oliguria was noted and the CPK fell to 893 five days later. This is the only case in the English-language literature who developed myonecrosis from carbon monoxide, despite hyperbaric oxygen treatment. We believe that this case demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen cannot prevent the development of myonecrosis induced by carbon monoxide.