Background: After acute carbon monoxide intoxication, there may be a higher risk for late adverse cardiac events. However, these patients are usually not followed to monitor the appearance of these effects.
Aim: To follow patients seen at an emergency department for carbon monoxide intoxication, monitoring the appearance of myocardial infarction. To assess the predictive value for such complication of serum troponin, carboxyhemoglobin, and procalcitonin levels at the moment of intoxication.
Material and methods: We followed 237 patients receiving emergency care for carbon monoxide intoxication, with a serum carboxyhemoglobin of 5% or more, between 2010 and 2012. Levels of procalcitonin and troponin I were measured. Patients were followed for five years after the intoxication.
Results: During the follow up period, 35 patients had a myocardial infarction. These patients had significantly higher carboxyhemoglobin, procalcitonin and troponin I levels at the moment of the intoxication than their counterparts who did not had a myocardial infarction in the follow up. A logistic regression analysis showed that age, carboxyhemoglobin levels, procalcitonin, troponin 1 and length of CO exposure were associated with a higher risk of myocardial infarction. Procalcitonin, troponin and carboxyhemoglobin levels had a high sensitivity and specificity to predict the appearance of myocardial infarction, with high areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
Conclusions: In patients with CO intoxication, carboxyhemoglobin, troponin and procalcitonin levels at the moment of the intoxication are significant predictors of the late appearance of myocardial infarction.