Beware of carbon-monoxide sources and stay alive

Where do I get ideas for this column? It's usually from long hours of reading medical reports, talking to researchers, searching the Internet and various sources. It's tedious and tiring, but this week I got lucky. I was having a drink at my favourite watering hole when a friend said to me, "You should write about a problem I know that kills people. It also makes them ill, and they don't realize the cause of their poor health." He then told me some tragic stories.

"A child vomited and appeared to be having a seizure. No one knew why. In another case, two women, swimming in a cluster of boats, suddenly lost consciousness and nearly drowned. Two others were found dead in a cabin cruiser for no apparent reason."

He said another person complained of headaches only in the winter. So what was the final diagnosis? Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. It was the culprit in all the cases.

We've all heard stories of depressed people who commit suicide by sitting in a running car in a closed garage. But few people realize that gas from a cluster of boats can also generate enough CO to affect swimmers. Exhaust fumes can also flow back into the boat. If you have headaches, fatigue and general malaise only in winter, it might be due to your wood-burning stove, a defect in the heating system or a blocked chimney that's filling the air with CO.

This year, 500 people will die from CO poisoning in North America and another 40,000 will require hospital treatment. That's because victims are unaware CO is present, as it has no odour, colour or taste. The only protection is a carbon monoxide detector. Studies show although most people have smoke alarms, 50 per cent of households have no CO detector.

My bar friend's task is to inspect homes to determine if CO presents a hazard. He told me some people live on the edge without knowing CO is present, causing their health problems.

CO gas is measured in parts per million (ppm), and nine ppm is considered a health hazard. Because cigarettes emit carbon monoxide, home inspections often show eight to 10 ppm. Small wonder smokers often complain of headaches and feel tired all the time.

One of my friend's remarks reminded me of the "bingo brain syndrome." A woman was admitted to hospital complaining of mental confusion. She smoked two packs of cigarettes daily and was an ardent bingo player three nights a week. Further research revealed that of the 310 bingo players involved, 304 smoked. The woman's diagnosis was CO poisoning.

Today, we worry about deaths due to drunk drivers, but we might never know the number of fatalities that occur because chain smokers fall asleep from increased CO in the car.

Few people consider lighting candles hazardous apart from the danger of fire. But if power fails and several are lit in a small room, C0 gas is produced. So think twice if you're planning to add romance to your life by opening a bottle of wine and lighting candles. Your partner might get a little drowsy at the wrong time.

This winter, don't be a victim of CO poisoning. Remember that when fuels such as wood, natural gas, oil or kerosene have insufficient oxygen for full combustion, CO is formed and can set the stage for tragedy.

CO binds to hemoglobin in the blood in amounts 250 times greater than oxygen, and in concentrations of 12,800 ppm, you're unconscious after three breaths.

There are several manufacturers that make smoke and CO detectors. They are a great insurance policy to protect your family.

And remember, never assume when the buzzer sounds, it's a false alarm. Get everyone out of the house, as a few moments of exposure to CO can mean the difference between life and death.

This has been a good week. I'll visit my favourite watering hole more often.

See the website www.docgiff.com

For comments info@docgiff.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 24, 2012 A21