Atypical Presentation of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning With Aphasia

We present a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning with a single focal neurological deficit. The patient was found by emergency medical services (EMS) to be resting in his truck with a generator running nearby. On arrival, the patient was hemodynamically stable. The patient was aphasic but did not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-04, Vol.15 (4), p.e37019
Main Authors: Shimp, Griffin, Fratczak, Adam, Nielson, Jeffrey A, Perry, Rebecca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aphasia
Blood tests
Carbon monoxide
Cytochrome
Emergency medical care
Emergency Medicine
Headaches
Hemoglobin
Hypoxia
Ischemia
Medicine
Metabolism
Nausea
Neurology
Other
Oxygen therapy
Patients
Poisoning
Tomography
Vomiting
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Summary:We present a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning with a single focal neurological deficit. The patient was found by emergency medical services (EMS) to be resting in his truck with a generator running nearby. On arrival, the patient was hemodynamically stable. The patient was aphasic but did not exhibit any other focal or lateralizing deficits. He was able to communicate by writing clearly and coherently on a sheet of paper. His initial carboxyhemoglobin was 29%, confirming the diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning. He was treated with 100% O via a non-rebreather mask and regained his speech during his ED (emergency department) course. The patient was ultimately hospitalized for continued oxygen treatment and serial examinations. This case highlights the varied presenting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning as well as the importance of including a broad differential diagnosis while working up patients with a focal neurologic deficit.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.37019