[Hypoxia in acute exogenous psychoses and its treatment]

The paper concerns an examination of external respiration and blood oxygen functions in 82 patients with alcoholic delirium and in 44 patients with the delirious syndrome due to an acute poisoning by carbon monoxide. It was demonstrated that hypoxia is an important link in the pathogenesis of acute intoxication psychoses. A significant role in the formation of the psychotic symptomatology is played by the degree and type of hypoxia. All patients were given oxygen by different routes of administration: subcutaneous (28 cases), by inhalation at normal barometric pressure (60 cases), by hyperbaric oxygenation (39 cases). It was demonstrated that the most efficacious method of arresting hypoxia of any origin is hyperbaric oxygenation which may be recommended for the treatment of acute alcoholic and carbon monoxide psychoses.