RED CELL DISTRIBUTION WIDTH IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING: RELATIONSHIP WITH MARKERS OF INEFFECTIVE ERYTHROPOIESIS, INFLAMMATION

Abstract

Aims: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is very common. Although it causes death in some cases, the pathophysiologic mechanisms that generate these fatal complications are still not fully understood. No study has directly focused on the indicators of severe complications resulting from CO poisoning; therefore, we investigated red cell distribution width (RDW), which is an indicator of systemic inflammation in patients with CO poisoning. Methods: A total of 429 patients (207 males and 222 females) who experienced CO poisoning between July 2009 and February 2013 were examined. Results: The control group comprised 23 males and 16 females (a total of 39 patients). The RDW level was significantly higher in the CO poisoning group; this increase may indicate the progression of anisocytosis due to CO poisoning. The white blood cell (WBC) level (9.9 +/- 3.4 vs 8.5 +/- 2.9 x 103/mL, respectively; p = 0.01), hemoglobin (13.7 +/- 1.7 vs 12.9 +/- 1.1 g/dl, respectively; p < 0.01) and MCHC (34.2 +/- 1.1 vs 35.1 +/- 1.6, respectively; p < 0.01) were critically higher in the group with CO poisoning. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the hypoxia in patients subjected to CO exposure resulted in significantly elevated red cell distribution width levels. The increasead red cell distribution width levels on admission may indicate the onset of complications due to CO exposure in patients without anemia.