Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Comatose Patients With Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Inclusion Criteria: * patients older than 15 years of age * admitted for domestic CO poisoning within 12 hours after the end of CO exposure * initial coma, regardless of consciousness at hospital admission * carboxyhemoglobin level at presentation greater than 10% or 5%, in smokers and non-smokers, respectively Exclusion Criteria: * poisoning by more than one compound (e.g., CO plus a drug or CO plus other toxic gases such as those found in fire smoke) * suicide attempt * pregnancy * contraindications to HBO (circulatory collapse or pneumothorax) * technical obstacles to HBO * non domestic CO poisoning * difficulty in determining whether the patient experienced initial loss of consciousness or initial coma * consent refusal