Treatment of acute carbon-monoxide poisoning with therapeutic erythrocytapheresis: clinical effects and results in 17 victims.

Seventeen cases of acute carbon-monoxide poisoning were treated with therapeutic red cell-exchange. Glasgow Coma Scale score was used to evaluate the level of consciousness. The mean carboxyhemoglobin level decreased from 0.286 ± 0.1805 (28.6 ± 18.05%) to 0.0613 ± 0.0418 (6.13 ± 4.18%) and Glasgow Coma Scale score increased from 10 ± 3 to 13.76 ± 1.89. While 11 patients scored 15 at the end of the treatment, four scored 15 in an hour after the treatment. None of the patients died. Two victims (11.7%) experienced ischemic encephalopathy. Therapeutic red cell-exchange therapy can be an effective treatment in reducing mortality and morbidity in carbon-monoxide poisoning.