Oklahoma City, OK - Unintentional deaths due to carbon monoxide exposure are more likely to occur during winter months.
“Poisonings are the third leading cause of unintentional deaths in Oklahoma. More people die from carbon monoxide exposure than from any other unintentional poisoning agent,” said Lee McGoodwin, managing director of the Oklahoma Poison Control Center.
According to McGoodwin, common sources of CO include vehicle exhaust, small gasoline engines, portable generators/heaters, outdoor grills and smoke from poorly ventilated chimneys.
Two hundred and ninety-one carbon monoxide-related deaths were recorded in Oklahoma between 1994 and 2003, with Oklahoma and Tulsa counties having the highest number of deaths, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported. Almost half of all CO exposures resulting in death are caused by a source inside the home. Vehicle exhaust fumes are the second most common source of unintentional CO exposure.
“Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is formed when anything is not properly burned. Detection of carbon monoxide is achieved through a CO detector or air-quality testing,” said Marda Riley, certified specialist in poison information. “Choose a detector that has an alarm and install it outside of the sleeping area.”
Although anyone can be poisoned by carbon monoxide, pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly and those with respiratory illnesses, heart disease or anemia are at greater risk. Firefighters, garage mechanics, welders and police officers also are at a heightened risk.
Symptoms of mild CO exposure are headache, drowsiness or dizziness, fatigue and possible shortness of breath. Moderate exposure would cause severe headache, nausea and vomiting, confusion or difficulty concentrating, and vision changes.
Carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from being carried to the brain and heart, which results in suffocation. Because these vital organs require the most oxygen, severe poisoning could produce seizures, heart and brain damage, and/or death.
Carbon monoxide exposure affects everyone in the household, including family pets.
The best treatment for CO poisoning is fresh air. In moderate or severe exposures, the patient may require oxygen in a hospital setting. If you think carbon monoxide is a problem in your home, leave immediately and do not return until the source of the problem has been determined and repaired.
To prevent exposures in your home:
· Never leave a car or other gasoline-powered engine running in a closed garage.
· Have a professional technician inspect all fuel-burning appliances, furnaces, vents and fireplaces at the beginning of each heating season.
· Use outdoor grills in well-ventilated places and never inside the home or garage.
· Do not sleep in a parked car while the engine is running.
· Do not use an oven or gas range for heating the home.
The Oklahoma Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (800) 222-1222. Staffed by physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other poison specialists, the poison center answers calls from the public as well as health-care professionals on the treatment of poisonings, overdoses, medication problems and other poison-related concerns.
The poison center is a program of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and the Children’s Hospital at OU MEDICAL CENTER. Free phone stickers can be obtained by calling the poison center toll-free at (800) 222-1222. For other free resources, visit the center’s Web site at http://Oklahomapoison.org.