Biomarkers of acute toxicity in patients poisoned with carbon monoxide in Buenos Aires city

CORTEZ, ANALÍA ELIZABETH; GALARZA, ROCÍO ALEJANDRA; RHON-CALDERÓN, ERIC ALEJANDRO; DAMÍN, CARLOS; FALETTI, ALICIA GRACIELA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencia; 2017

SAIC, SAFE, SAFIS, SAIB, SAB, SAFE, SAA

Carbon monoxide poisoning (CO) is preventable and avoidable. In our country, about 200 people die annually from CO poisoning. In this opportunity, we characterized a cohort intoxicated with acute CO and search for a prognostic biomarker. Data were collected from the clinical records, including the Folstein minimental status exam (MMSE), of patients received in the J. A. Fernández Hospital throughout 2016. In a group of patients, peripheral blood samples were extracted to evaluate genetic damage performed by the comet assay, expressed as TailDNA%, before (prett) and after (postt) receiving the established treatment. The most frequent source of exposures were boiler (59%) and water heater (25%). The mainclinical manifestations were headache (30%), nausea (18%) and confusion (13%). About 59% of patients had blood carboxyhemoglobin levels (COHb) below 10%. Of all patients, 24 received normobaric oxygen therapy (ONB), 12 received hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBO) and the rest received no treatment. Regarding the MMSE, the main errors were attention and denomination (23%), followed by recall (16%). Some patients were followed throughout hospitalization and TailDNA% (prett and postt) according to the treatment was compared. Data are expressed as mean±SEM and statistical analysis was t test or two way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-test. No significant differences were found between the groups (ONB: prett 10±3, postt 6±1; HBO: prett 3.8±0.1, postt 6±1). We found two prediction models which had lineal regression between: i) COHb with gender, age, headache and syncope (R2 0.75, Raj 0.24); and ii) TailDNA% with gender, age, COHb (R2 0.67; Raj 0.4). In conclusion: i) the most important prevention measures should be focused on home; ii) it is necessary to apply a more specific cognitive test to improve the evaluation; and iii) the treatment did not decrease the DNA damage caused by CO. It is necessary to include more patients in the protocol.