RESUMO
Objective To explore the association of increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure with delayed encepha?lopathy after acute carbonmonoxide poisoning. Methods One hundred twenty cases of severe acute carbon monoxide poi?soning patients were included in the present study. All patients underwent lumbar puncture for measurement of cerebro?spinal fluid pressure (mmH2O) within seven days following acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Results Thirty-eight pa?tients of total 120 patients had a delayed encephalopathy and the incident rate of delayed encephalopathy was 31.67%. In?creased cerebrospinal fluid pressure was detected in 34 cases of delayed encephalopathy patients and the abnormal rate was 89.47%. Thirty-two of 38 patients with delayed encephalopathy demonstrated improvement to varying degrees af?ter treatment:6 cases had complete recovery, 26 regained or partially regained the ability to live independently, four died and two were in coma. Cerebrospinal fluid pressure was less than 150 mmH2O in six patients who achieved full recovery, while cerebrospinal fluid pressure was great than 200 mmH2O in six patients who died or were in coma. Cerebrospinal flu?id pressure was around 150~180 mmH2O in patients who regained or partially regained the ability to live independently. Conclusion Elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure at the early phase of carbon monoxide poisoning may have a predictive value in diagnosis and prognosis of delayed encephalopathy.
