[Acute pulmonary edema in carbon monoxide poisoning. Prognostic effect]

285 patients affected by carbon monoxide poisoning were admitted in our intensive care unit over a period of two years (from july 1980 to july 1982). 18 patients had a pulmonary edema (P.E.). The occurrence of P.E. was more frequent when coma was grade 2, 3 or 4 (p less than 10(-3]. The acute physiologic score (weighting of physiologic measurements) as proposed by Knauss is higher in patients with P.E. (p less than 10(-2]. However death is never due to P.E.; about 54 patients with coma, 5 died; death is related to neurologic aggravation. Neurologic sequelae are not related to the occurrence of P.E. but to a delay in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These date show that prognosis of carbon monoxide poisoning is related to neurological status and is not influenced by the occurrence of P.E. when correctly treated and when hyperbaric oxygen therapy is early realized.