Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in carbon monoxide poisoning in Moroccan patients

Describe the epidemiological, clinical characteristics of acute carbon monoxide poisoning (COP), and the therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on patient's clinical outcome. This is the first study in this field in Morocco. It studies retrospectively 309 victims of acute COP with major neurological signs. All patients have been treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and have been admitted by the emergency department of the Mohammed V military training hospital in Rabat, between January 2015 and December 2018. All poisonings were accidental and occurred especially in winter (50%), with a predominance in urban areas (93%). The poisoning was often caused by a non-compliant water heater (91%), multi-causality was in half of the cases, and affected adults and women (mean age: 21 ± 17 years, gender (male:female) 1:1.5. The average admission time to the hyperbaric chamber lasted 9 h 04 min (± 12 h 32 min). Clinical signs were mainly unconsciousness (151 cases), headache (85 cases), vomiting (63 cases), nausea (53 cases), and dizziness (51 cases). All the patients benefitted from hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions. The clinical outcome was positive in the majority of cases, but 23% of the cases presented minor or major sequelae. Patients with sequelae had a longer length of admission than those who had not. COP is a major public health problem in Morocco. Through this study, we suggest the interest of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, especially when it is administered timely without delay.