Carbon monoxide poisoning from waterpipe (narghile) smoking in a child

Abstract

Shisha smoking has spread to many countries since the 1990s and is now a global phenomenon among adolescents. Notwithstanding the connotations of conviviality of shisha smoking, it is in fact highly dangerous since the smoke inhaled contains toxic substances. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning carries a high risk of neurological and neuropsychological sequelae such as memory loss, impaired concentration, mood disorders, and various other symptoms. We report a case of severe CO poisoning in a 13-year-old boy after smoking shisha that caused loss of consciousness and seizure. To our knowledge, there have as yet been no reports of cases involving children. We present some epidemiological data on shisha smoking in adolescents as well as on CO intoxication.

Keywords: Adolescent; CO; Child; Narghile; Shisha; Smoking; Tobacco; Waterpipe.