Delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome — In up to 40 percent of patients with significant CO exposure, a syndrome of delayed neurologic sequelae (DNS) can arise 3 to 240 days after apparent recovery. Characterized by variable degrees of cognitive deficits, personality changes, movement disorders, and focal neurologic deficits, DNS generally occur within 20 days of CO poisoning, and deficits may persist for a year or longer.
The development of DNS correlates poorly with COHb levels, although the majority of cases are associated with loss of consciousness during acute intoxication.
