2/5/2010
By ERIN MATHEWS Salina Journal

Each year, more than 400 people in the United States die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

More than 20,000 people are treated in emergency rooms and 4,000 are hospitalized after exposure to the colorless, odorless gas.

"If you know you have been exposed, you should be looked at -- period," said Dr. Tim Breedlove, an emergency room physician at Salina Regional Health Center.

The primary treatment is a high flow of oxygen, he said.

Carbon monoxide is found in combustion fumes produced by vehicles, stoves, fires and heating systems, and it can build up to dangerous levels in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces, according to the CDC information. High levels of the gas can cause death within minutes.

High concentrations of the gas have an odor like lavender, but lesser amounts that have no odor can still be lethal, Breedlove said.

Because it cannot be detected by sight or smell, it is not always evident when there is a carbon monoxide problem in a home, Salina Fire Marshal Roger Williams said. Often the symptoms of exposure mimic flu, food poisoning or another illness, he said, so people think they are suffering from one of those illnesses.

Annual visits from professionals who can check gas appliances and heating systems for possible leaks are recommended.

Another important step to ensure safety is to install a carbon monoxide detector, which can monitor levels of carbon monoxide throughout the year, Williams said.

Common symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include exhaustion, headaches, nausea, vomiting and confusion, Breedlove said.

Salina firefighters who responded to a town home Wednesday where carbon monoxide levels were exceptionally high experienced even more severe symptoms within a minute or two of their entry, Williams said. The first two firefighter/paramedics who entered the home to check on the condition of a man who was unresponsive were overcome and had to be pulled out by other firefighters, he said.

Breedlove said more serious symptoms include becoming unresponsive, falling asleep, going into a coma and, ultimately, respiratory arrest.

"It just depends on how much and for how long," he said.

Carbon monoxide deprives the body of oxygen because it binds with hemoglobin -- the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen to cells -- 250 times better than oxygen does, Breedlove said. It also interferes with the release of oxygen to the body's organs, he said.

The first parts of the body affected by the lack of oxygen are the brain and heart, he said. Carbon monoxide exposure also can result in heart attacks and seizures.

Although long-term effects of carbon monoxide exposure such as heart damage are possible, Breedlove said they are not common.

n Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by e-mail at emathews@salina.com.

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