Is a vegetative state after gas poisoning due to brainstem damage?
Nov 27, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
After carbon monoxide poisoning, the brain is the most severely affected organ. Carbon monoxide rapidly enters the body and binds to hemoglobin, forming carboxyhemoglobin. Brain cells, when deprived of oxygen over an extended period, may suffer damage to the brainstem, leading to dysfunction of bodily systems and potentially resulting in a vegetative state.
Gas poisoning refers to carbon monoxide poisoning. Patients who become vegetative due to carbon monoxide poisoning usually suffer from brainstem damage.
After carbon monoxide poisoning, the brain is the organ most severely affected. Carbon monoxide rapidly enters the body and binds with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin dissolves easily in the bloodstream but is difficult to break down, and its binding affinity is 240 times stronger than that of oxygen, leading to hypoxemia. When the partial pressure of oxygen becomes too low, major organs—especially the brain—do not receive sufficient oxygen. Prolonged oxygen deprivation causes brainstem injury; if severe cerebral edema and neurotoxicity develop, functional disturbances of the body may occur, potentially resulting in a vegetative state and impaired consciousness.
After carbon monoxide poisoning, the patient should be promptly moved to a safe area for fresh air. If shortness of breath occurs, hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be administered immediately. In cases of severe carbon monoxide poisoning, after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, medications such as naloxone may be prescribed by a doctor to reduce intracranial pressure.
