Abstract
Introduction
Previous studies have shown that carbon monoxide, which is endogenously produced,
is increased in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, it has not been studied
enough whether severity of pneumonia is correlated with increased carboxyhemoglobin
(COHb) concentrations in CAP. The aim of this study was to determine whether endogenous
carbon monoxide levels in patients with CAP were higher compared with the control
group and, if so, to determine whether COHb concentrations could predict severity
in CAP.
Materials and methods
Eighty-two patients with CAP were evaluated in this cross-sectional study during a
10-month period. Demographic data, pneumonia severity index and confusion, uremia,
rate respiratory, pressure blood, age>65 (CURB-65) scores, hospital admission or discharge
decisions, and 30-day hospital mortality rate were recorded. In addition, 83 control
subjects were included to study. The COHb concentration was measured in arterial blood
sample.
Results
The levels of COHb in patients with CAP were 1.70% (minimum-maximum, 0.8-3.2), whereas
those in control subjects, 1.40% (minimum-maximum, 0.8-2.9). The higher COHb concentrations
in patients with CAP were statistically significant (P < .05). Concentration of COHb correlated with pneumonia severity index (P = .04, r = 0.187); however, it did not correlate with CURB-65 (P = .218, r = 0.112).
Conclusion
Although COHb concentrations show an increase in patients with pneumonia, it was concluded
that this increase did not act as an indicator in diagnosis process or prediction
of clinical severity for the physicians.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: December 07, 2012
Accepted:
October 10,
2012
Received in revised form:
October 8,
2012
Received:
August 18,
2012
Footnotes
☆Conflict of interest: none declared.
☆☆Financial support: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
