ABSTRACT
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a serious but complex poison. If one is lucky enough to survive the acute hypoxic event from avid binding of hemoglobin, the patient still has to contend with a potential of up to 40% chance of delayed and/or persistent neurological deficits.1-6 These effects can be debilitating including dementia, amnestic syndromes, parkinsonism, movement disorders, and cortical blindness.7-9 The problem is that patients may appear initially well, and following several days to weeks, develop delayed neurological sequelae (DNS).9 These problems can last for a year or longer.10
