CO-poisoned patients are identified by medical history and carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) value >5% (>10% in smokers). Patients presenting with acute CO poisoning will receive one HBO. ASCOP is defined as mental status showing response to painful stimulus or unresponsiveness requiring intubation for airway protection and ventilation support at the emerency department, and persistence of depressed mental status despite the HBO. After HBO treatment, eligible patients who provide consent will be randomly allocated to receive hypothermia, or normothermia treatment administered in a open label fashion except for blinding of outcome assessor.~Outcome measures will be administered at 1 month and 6 months after CO exposure. In addition, we will examine the differences in serum markers and mortality between the hypothermia and normothermia groups.
This randomized trial will investigate important neurocognitive clinical outcomes of patients with acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning (ASCOP) randomized to receive either therapeutic hypothermia or normothermia combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO).