Treatment in carbon monoxide poisoning patients with headache: a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, controlled clinical trial

Background There is a lack of specificity of the analgesic agents used to treat headache and underlying acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Objective To compare effectiveness of “oxygen alone” vs “metoclopramide plus oxygen” vs “metamizole plus oxygen” therapy in treating carbon monoxide–induced headache. Design A prospective, multicenter, double-blind, controlled trial. Setting Three emergency departments in Turkey. Population Adult carbon monoxide poisoning patients with headache. Methods A total of 117 carbon monoxide-intoxicated patients with headache were randomized into 3 groups and assessed at baseline, 30 minutes, 90 minutes, and 4 hours. Main Outcome Measure The primary outcome was patient-reported improvement rates for headache. Secondary end points included nausea, need for rescue medication during treatment, and reduction in carboxyhemoglobin levels. Results During observation, there was no statistical difference between drug type and visual analog scale score change at 30 minutes, 90 minutes, or 4 hours, for either headache or nausea. No rescue medication was needed during the study period. The reduction in carboxyhemoglobin levels did not differ among the 3 groups. Conclusion The use of “oxygen alone” is as efficacious as “oxygen plus metoclopramide” or “oxygen plus metamizole sodium” in the treatment of carbon monoxide–induced headache.