Citation

Huang CC, Chung MH, Weng SF, Chien CC, Lin SJ, Lin HJ, Guo HR, Su SB, Hsu CC, Juan CW. PLoS One 2014; 9(8): e105503.

Affiliation

Department of Emergency Medicine, Kuang-Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Public Library of Science)

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0105503

PMID

25167083

PMCID

PMC4148326

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) often produces severe complications and can be fatal. Because this topic has not been well delineated, we investigated long-term prognoses of patients with COP (COP[+]).

METHODS: In this retrospective nationwide cohort study, 441 COP[+] patients and 8820 COP[-] controls (120) from 1999 to 2010 were selected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven (8.39%) COP[+] patients and 142 (1.61%) controls died (P<0.0001) during follow-up. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of death were 5.24 times higher in COP[+] patients than in controls (P<0.0001). The risk of death was particularly high in the first month after COP (IRR: 308.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.79-2337.56), 1 to 6 months after (IRR: 18.92; 95% CI: 7.69-46.56), and 6-12 months after (IRR: 4.73; 95% CI: 1.02-21.90). After adjusting for age, gender, and selected comorbidities, the hazard ratio of death for COP[+] patients was still 4.097 times higher than for controls. Moreover, older age (≥30 years old), male gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and low income were also independent mortality predictors.

CONCLUSIONS: COP significantly increases the risk for long-term mortality. Early follow-up and secondary prevention of death are needed for patients with COP.

Language: en