A 47-year-old man surnamed Ye from Taichung City was in a cold wave at the end of last year. He was alone in a closed space late at night using a stove to keep warm. He accidentally caused carbon monoxide poisoning. He was sent to the emergency room of the Children’s Hospital by his family for emergency treatment. He was hospitalized for 5 days recovered and was discharged. However, one month after being discharged from the hospital, he developed changes in consciousness, inability to speak, unsteady walking, slow movements, cognitive impairment, and even incontinence. His family took him to the hospital for treatment and diagnosed him with delayed neuropathy. After 56 hyperbaric oxygen treatments, he finally recovered gradually.
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It is understood that Mr. Yeh, unmarried and residing in QingShui District, lives with his mother and works in agriculture. Last year, he used a charcoal stove for heating at home and forgot to extinguish it before going to bed, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning and emergency hospitalization. Unexpectedly, a month after discharge, he developed delayed-onset neurological sequelae, characterized by cognitive decline, unsteady gait, slow movements, communication difficulties, social withdrawal, and even incontinence. He couldn’t recognize his own mother, and he could not even dress himself.
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Doctor explained that delayed-onset neurological sequelae is a rare consequence of carbon monoxide poisoning, typically occurring within 2 to 40 days after recovery, with a peak incidence around the second week. Symptoms include a range of psychiatric and neurological manifestations such as depression, language disorders, cognitive decline, emotional abnormalities, motor disturbances resembling Parkinson’s disease, and others. The exact cause of onset remains unclear, but it is generally believed to involve widespread inflammation after carbon monoxide poisoning, leading to damage to the brain’s white matter myelin.
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Director Wu Ji-Ying of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center at Tung’s Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital explained that hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves placing the patient in a pressurized chamber and administering high-concentration, short-duration, intermittent oxygen inhalation to increase oxygen levels in the blood and affected tissues for therapeutic purposes. Research has shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy not only improves tissue oxygenation but also promotes nerve repair, reduces inflammation, and activates stem cells.
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Thanks to early detection and consistent treatment, Mr. Yeh received hyperbaric oxygen therapy daily, five times a week, for approximately 90 minutes per session over 8 weeks, totaling 40 sessions. Later, based on family requests, he underwent an additional 16 sessions, gradually restoring his cognitive and behavioral abilities. Mr. Yeh expressed gratitude to healthcare professionals, noting that he was initially unable to even dress himself, but now his life is gradually returning to normal. He can drive again and is very thankful for the assistance provided by the medical staff.
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Vice President Wu Zhao-Xin of Tung’s Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital pointed out that the hospital has a 6-person hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber on the 8th floor and three single-person chambers on the basement level, providing patients with a diverse and comfortable treatment environment. Chief of the Emergency Department, Wei Zhi-Wei, emphasized that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is commonly used in emergencies for carbon monoxide poisoning patients. Apart from treating conditions like air embolism and decompression sickness after diving, it has broad applications including diabetic foot ulcers, elderly cognitive decline, dental treatments, and even adapting to conditions such as COVID-19 recovery, cervical spine injuries, hypoxic brain injury, acute stroke, traumatic brain injury, and post-cosmetic surgery.
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