Carbon monoxide poisonings up in Texas

By Adriana M. Chávez
The El Paso Times

EL PASO, Texas — February's freeze and this month's cold temperatures have possibly contributed to an increase in carbon monoxide poisonings in the city.

Officials with the El Paso Fire Department said the number of reported poisonings have almost doubled this year compared with last year.

So far this year, there have been 46 reports. In 2010, there were 25 reports, said Inspector John Concha, a spokesman for the El Paso Fire Department.

On Thursday, four people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty heater in their Lower Valley home.

The family called paramedics about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the 600 block of Greggerson Drive. Concha said family members woke up in the middle of the night with flulike symptoms, and called paramedics Thursday morning when they still felt ill.

"If they had waited a few more minutes, it could have been a lot different," Concha said.

Four people were taken to Las Palmas Medical Center for treatment and have since been released. Firefighters detected high levels of carbon monoxide in the home and shuttered it until a licensed professional technician could evaluate the home's heater.

Concha said he recommends that residents install a carbon monoxide detector in their homes, and have a professional examine heaters to make sure they're working properly.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

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