With carbon monoxide poisoning, you don't simply succumb or survive. The aftermath of the odorless, colorless gas, which is produced by virtually any flame, can include physical and mental disabilities, from mild to severe.
Compounding the tragedy is the fact that with a carbon monoxide detector and some fairly simple precautions, it's preventable.
That's a message Dr. Lindell Weaver, director of hyperbaric medicine at LDS Hospital, would like to get across, because everyone is at risk. He and Sue Churchill, a nurse practitioner in the LDS Hospital hyperbaric center, will field questions about carbon monoxide poisoning during Saturday's Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline. They'll take calls from 10 a.m. to noon.
Carbon monoxide wreaks its deadly havoc by binding to red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen to the body's tissues. It's particularly hard on the oxygen-hungry brain. Besides causing oxygen deprivation, carbon monoxide is a toxin that can damage the brain's structure. In animal studies, carbon monoxide was found to release highly dangerous oxygen radicals into the body, as well.
Most people know about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from automobile exhaust in a closed-in area. They realize that fireplaces and gas furnaces that aren't working or venting properly pose a threat. But they don't think about the dangers of space heaters and oil lamps in closed-in areas, of motorboat exhaust. And few people are aware that children have died, asleep in the back of a pickup truck or station wagon, because deadly exhaust has been sucked in.
Part of the problem is that the symptoms of exposure to carbon monoxide mimic other illnesses, especially flu, Weaver said. Headache, nausea, feeling weak, tired, even vomiting are common symptoms.
But with the flu, most members of the family don't exhibit the symptoms at the exact same time. When that happens, carbon monoxide poisoning should be suspected. If you leave your house feeling lousy and start feeling better elsewhere, carbon monoxide poisoning is a real possibility.
As for outcomes, while severity of exposure is a definite risk factor, it's not predictive. People who have suffered high exposure levels might actually do well, while others with lower levels of exposure can fare badly. Older adults are particularly susceptible. And a pregnant woman's exposure poses grave danger to the baby she's carrying.
A recent study at Brigham Young University and LDS Hospital, under the direction of neuroscientist Dr. Ramona Hopkins, found that some individuals may be more sensitive to exposure than others, but there's no test to determine who might be "at risk." About 25 percent of the study's participants suffered varying degrees of permanent brain damage.
Because carbon monoxide is "all around us," Weaver said, people should have their furnaces inspected every year. In fact, his own furnace is temporarily turned off because there was a crack in the combustion chamber, and Weaver knows it won't be safe to use until it's repaired.
Every family should have at least one carbon monoxide detector at home, placed near the sleeping areas. And when the alarm sounds, it should be heeded. Weaver said he's actually treated people who said they unplugged the alarm because it was annoying.
Most carbon monoxide detectors on the market have a stamp of approval from the Underwriters Laboratory. He prefers the kind that are both battery back up and plug-in and have a digital display.
People who believe they've been exposed to carbon monoxide should get out and breathe the air outside. They should also, if possible, shut off the suspected source and open windows or doors. Prompt medical attention is crucial.
E-MAIL: lois@desnews.com