Does Simple Face Mask or Diffuser Mask Matter in the First Hour Treatment of Carbon Monoxide Intoxication? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study

Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication is the most common cause of death among all intoxications (1-3). It affects many organs through tissue hypoxia and causes damage at the cellular level. The central nervous system and the heart are the most important organs affected (4). CO can cause permanent neurological sequel (5), changes in heart rate, arrhythmia, myocardial damage, necrosis, cardiogenic shock, and sudden cardiac death. It is important to start treatment early in cases of CO intoxication, as exposure time is one of the key factors that determine the severity of toxicity (6). Treatment consists of hemodynamic stabilization and elimination of CO. The elimination largely includes administering 100% oxygen (O2) with non-rebreathing face mask or providing hyperbaric O2 therapy (HBOT) (7-9). In the absence of a nonrebreathing face mask, diffuser mask (DMG) and simple face mask (SMG) are two types of masks commonly used. To the best of our