Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when carbon monoxide builds up
in your bloodstream. When too much carbon monoxide is in the air, your body
replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This can lead
to serious tissue damage, or even death.
Carbon monoxide is a
colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by burning gas, wood, propane,
charcoal or other fuel. Improperly ventilated appliances and engines,
particularly in a tightly sealed or enclosed space, may allow carbon monoxide
to accumulate to dangerous levels.
If you think you or
someone you're with may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and
seek emergency medical care.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:
·
Dull headache
·
Weakness
·
Dizziness
·
Nausea or vomiting
·
Shortness of breath
·
Confusion
·
Blurred vision
·
Loss of consciousness
Carbon
monoxide poisoning can be especially dangerous for people who are sleeping or
intoxicated. People may have irreversible brain damage or even be killed before
anyone realizes there's a problem.
When to see a doctor
The
warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning can be subtle. But the condition is
a life-threatening medical emergency. If you think you or someone you're with
may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and seek emergency
medical care.
Causes
Carbon monoxide
poisoning is caused by inhaling combustion fumes. When too much carbon monoxide
is in the air you're breathing, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood
cells with carbon monoxide. This prevents oxygen from reaching your tissues and
organs.
Various
fuel-burning products and engines produce carbon monoxide. Normally the amount
of carbon monoxide produced by these sources isn't cause for concern. But if
they're used in a closed or partially closed space — such as using a charcoal
grill indoors — the carbon monoxide can build to dangerous levels.
Smoke inhalation
during a fire also can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Risk factors
Exposure to carbon
monoxide may be particularly dangerous for:
·
Unborn babies. Fetal blood cells take up
carbon monoxide more readily than adult blood cells do. This makes unborn
babies more susceptible to harm from carbon monoxide poisoning.
·
Children. Young children take breaths
more frequently than adults do, which may make them more susceptible to carbon
monoxide poisoning.
·
Older adults. Older people who experience
carbon monoxide poisoning may be more likely to develop brain damage.
Complications
Depending on the
degree and length of exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause:
·
Permanent brain damage
·
Damage to your heart, possibly leading to life-threatening cardiac
complications
·
Death
Preparing for your appointment
If you or someone
you're with develops signs or symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning — headache,
dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, weakness, confusion — get into fresh
air immediately and call emergency
medical help.
Hospital staff will
need critical information as soon as you arrive. On the way to the hospital,
try to prepare to answer questions about:
·
Possible sources of carbon monoxide exposure
·
Signs or symptoms, and when they started
·
Any mental impairment, including confusion and memory problems
·
Any loss of consciousness
·
Other medical conditions with which the affected person has been
diagnosed, including pregnancy
·
Smoking habits
Tests and diagnosis
If you're brought to an emergency room with suspected carbon
monoxide poisoning, you may begin treatment immediately. To confirm your
diagnosis, the doctor may have a blood sample taken to test for carbon monoxide
in your blood.
Treatments and drugs
Get into fresh air
immediately and call 911 or emergency medical help if you or someone you're
with develops signs or symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. These include
headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, weakness and confusion.
Once you're at the
hospital, treatment may involve:
·
Breathing pure oxygen. In the
emergency room, you may breathe pure oxygen through a mask placed over your
nose and mouth. This helps oxygen reach your organs and tissues. If you can't
breathe on your own, a machine (ventilator) may do the breathing for you.
·
Spending time in a pressurized oxygen chamber. In many
cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended. This therapy involves
breathing pure oxygen in a chamber in which the air pressure is about two to
three times higher than normal. This speeds the replacement of carbon monoxide
with oxygen in your blood.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used
in cases of severe carbon monoxide poisoning. It helps protect heart and brain
tissue, which are particularly vulnerable to injury from carbon monoxide
poisoning. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may also be recommended for pregnant women
because unborn babies are more susceptible to damage from carbon monoxide
poisoning.
Prevention
Simple precautions
can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
·
Install carbon monoxide detectors. Put one in
the hallway near each sleeping area in your house. Check the batteries every
time you check your smoke detector batteries — at least twice a year. If the
alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911 or the fire department. Carbon
monoxide detectors are also available for motor homes and boats.
·
Open the garage door before starting your car. Never leave
your car running in your garage. Be particularly cautious if you have an
attached garage. Leaving your car running in a space attached to the rest of
your house is never safe, even with the garage door open.
·
Use gas appliances as recommended. Never use a
gas stove or oven to heat your home. Use portable gas camp stoves outdoors
only. Use fuel-burning space heaters only when someone is awake to monitor them
and doors or windows are open to provide fresh air. Don't run a generator in an
enclosed space, such as the basement or garage.
·
Keep your fuel-burning appliances and engines
properly vented. These include:
o
Space heaters
o
Furnaces
o
Charcoal grills
o
Cooking ranges
o
Water heaters
o
Fireplaces
o
Portable generators
o
Wood-burning stoves
o
Car and truck engines
Ask your utility company about yearly
check-ups for all gas appliances, including your furnace.
·
If you have a fireplace, keep it in good repair. Clean your
fireplace chimney and flue every year.
·
Keep vents and chimneys unblocked during remodelling.
Check that they aren't covered by tarps or debris.
·
Do repairs before returning to the site of an
incident. If carbon monoxide poisoning has occurred in your home, it's
critical to find and repair the source of the carbon monoxide before you stay
there again. Your local fire department or utility company may be able to help.
Post by Department of Occupational Safety & Health Training Institute
www.doshti.com
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