Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T23:51:22.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Carbon monoxide poisoning: an unusual cause of dizziness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2010

R Lakhani  and
N Bleach
R Lakhani*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, UK
N Bleach
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr Raj Lakhani, Department of Otolaryngology, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough SL2 4HH, UK. Fax: +44 (0)1753 633 051 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

We report an unusual case of dizziness caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Case report:

A 55-year-old man was referred to an ENT surgeon with dizziness. The patient described vague, non-specific symptoms not consistent with a diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, labyrinthitis or Ménière's disease. It emerged later that the patient had been suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning from a leaky gas hot water boiler in his house. After having the boiler fixed, the patient's symptoms completely resolved.

Conclusion:

When the more common causes of dizziness cannot be found, less common but important differential diagnoses, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, should be considered.

Keywords

Carbon Monoxide PoisoningDizziness
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 124 , Issue 10 , October 2010 , pp. 1103 - 1105
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Neuhauser, HK. Epidemiology of vertigo. Curr Opin Neurol 2007;20:40–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Gas Safety – Carbon Monoxide Awareness. In: http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/co.htm [15 October 2009]Google Scholar
3Ernst, A, Zibrak, JD. Carbon monoxide poisoning. N Engl J Med 1998;339:1603–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4National poisons information service (2009) TOXBASE Carbon monoxide. In: http://www.toxbase.org/ [15 October 2009]Google Scholar
5Fawcett, TA, Moon, RE, Fracica, PJ, Mebane, GY, Theil, DR, Piantadosi, CA. Warehouse workers' headache. Carbon monoxide poisoning from propane-fueled forklifts. J Occup Med 1992;34:12–15Google ScholarPubMed
6Choi, IS. Carbon monoxide poisoning: systemic manifestations and complications. J Korean Med Sci 2001;16:253–61CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Weaver, LK. Clinical practice. Carbon monoxide poisoning. N Engl J Med 2009;360:1217–25CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8 Table GS1. In: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/gs1.htm [15 October 2009]Google Scholar
9Hampson, NB, Weaver, LK. Carbon monoxide poisoning: a new incidence for an old disease. Undersea Hyperb Med 2007;34:163–8Google ScholarPubMed
10Boehning, D, Moon, C, Sharma, S, Hurt, KJ, Hester, LD, Ronnett, GV et al. Carbon monoxide neurotransmission activated by CK2 phosphorylation of hemeoxygenase-2. Neuron 2003 25;40:129–37CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Mannaioni, PF, Vannacci, A, Masini, E. Carbon monoxide: the bad and the good side of the coin, from neuronal death to anti-inflammatory activity. Inflamm Res 2006;55:261–73CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Thom, SR. Carbon monoxide pathophysiology and treatment. In: Neuman, TS, Thom, SR, eds. Physiology and Medicine of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2008;321–47CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Alonso, JR, Cardellach, F, López, S, Casademont, J, Miró, O. Carbon monoxide specifically inhibits cytochrome c oxidase of human mitochondrial respiratory chain. Pharmacol Toxicol 2003;93:142–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Cronje, FJ, Carraway, MS, Freiberger, JJ, Suliman, HB, Piantadosi, CA. Carbon monoxide actuates O(2)-limited heme degradation in the rat brain. Free Radic Biol Med 2004;37:1802–12CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Thom, SR, Bhopale, VM, Han, ST, Clark, JM, Hardy, KR. Intravascular neutrophil activation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006;174:1239–48CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Sources of Carbon Monoxide in the Environment. In: http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/ehc/ehc_213_part_2.pdf [15 October 2009]Google Scholar
17Scherer, G. Carboxyhemoglobin and thiocyanate as biomarkers of exposure to carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide in tobacco smoke. Exp Toxicol Pathol 2006;58:101–24CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Walker, E, Hay, A. Carbon monoxide poisoning. BMJ 1999;319:1082–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed