Winter is coming, beware of this silent killer - carbon monoxide poisoning

With the arrival of cold winter, the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning has also increased. Recently, the number of patients with carbon monoxide poisoning who have come to the hospital for treatment has increased significantly. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances. Its affinity with the human body is 210 times that of oxygen. After entering the human body, it combines with hemoglobin to cause severe hypoxia in the body and symptoms of poisoning appear.

Under what circumstances will carbon monoxide poisoning occur? Using a carbon stove for heating or cooking in a closed environment; closing doors and windows in cold weather or improper installation of the smoke pipe; using an old gas water heater in the bathroom, due to poor ventilation and insufficient oxygen supply, incomplete combustion of carbon will produce a large amount of carbon monoxide, which will lead to poisoning.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? Depending on the severity of the poisoning, the following symptoms may occur:

Mild poisoning: symptoms include headache, dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and weakness in the limbs.

Moderate poisoning: In addition to the above symptoms, there will also be increased muscle tension and muscle tremors accompanied by transient disturbances of consciousness such as irritability, delirium, and light coma.

Severe poisoning: The patient quickly falls into a coma that lasts for hours, days or longer, with a red face. Extremely seriously ill patients may have cherry red on their cheeks, chest, and inner thighs. They may experience acute heart failure, kidney failure, pulmonary edema, and even death.

What should we do if carbon monoxide poisoning occurs? First, open the doors and windows for ventilation, transfer the patient to the on-site environment, give him oxygen, keep him warm, call 120, and send him to a hospital with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for treatment.

In case of carbon monoxide poisoning, in addition to oxygen inhalation, warmth maintenance, and fluid supplementation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also required. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the first choice for carbon monoxide poisoning. Especially for patients with moderate to severe poisoning, timely treatment is required, otherwise delayed encephalopathy or sequelae are likely to occur.

How does hyperbaric oxygen treat carbon monoxide poisoning?

It allows patients to enter a closed pressurized chamber and breathe pure oxygen or high-concentration oxygen at a pressure higher than one atmosphere. The oxygen pressure of patients in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber can be increased by more than 10 times compared to breathing air at normal pressure, which can accelerate the dissociation of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin. The physical dissolved oxygen content of patients in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber is very high, which can be used by tissues and organs to quickly correct the body's hypoxia.

The patient's clinical manifestations and history of carbon monoxide exposure are important factors in the selection of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Once carbon monoxide poisoning is considered, regardless of the severity of the condition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be performed if conditions permit. The number and duration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy depends on the patient's clinical manifestations, gas leakage, environmental conditions, poisoning time, age, past history, and response to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Generally, 5-30 treatments are given, and severe patients can receive more than 60 treatments.

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in life?

1. For residents who use coal, charcoal or firewood for heating, chimneys should be installed in the living room. The chimney structure should be tight and the smoke and air should be exhausted well. In weather with high humidity and low air pressure, special attention should be paid to not closing the indoor doors and windows too tightly.

2. When using pipeline gas or natural gas, be sure to prevent pipeline aging, gas leakage, and gas leakage. When cooking, be careful to prevent the flame from being extinguished, which may cause gas overflow. Check frequently for leaks and keep the valves tightly closed.

3. Do not sleep in a car with doors and windows closed and the air conditioner on; when driving long distances, if the internal circulation is on, remember to open the windows regularly for ventilation.

4. It is forbidden to install flue-type gas water heaters in the bathroom. They should be installed outside the bathroom near the window or outdoors. Use forced exhaust gas water heaters as much as possible, and check and maintain gas water heaters and exhaust fans regularly.

Author: Peng Miaoyun, Maoming People's Hospital