Take quick action at the first signs of CO poisoning
Kathy Hubbard
It’s colorless and odorless and at its worst will kill you or leave you brain dead. And, the scariest part is we’re exposed to it all the time. Carbon monoxide (CO) is found in combustion fumes like our vehicle’s exhaust, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, wood and gas burning ranges and even your heating system
Carbon monoxide poisoning will often start with a headache and develop into dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Light cases may mirror other illnesses and be difficult to diagnose. High levels of CO will render you unconscious.
Read this extraordinary story. Carla Bertsch, R.N., is the director of education at Bonner General Hospital and serves on the emergency preparedness committee.
She recalled when she was 13 years old, her parents, 11-year-old brother and family dog were traveling by car from Del Rio, Texas, to San Antonio.
Evidently the rubber seal around the trunk was disintegrated, and exhaust was entering the car. Typical of CO poisoning, children and pets are most prone to the effects.
“What saved our lives is that I started crying,” Bertsch said. “I was blind, I couldn’t speak, but I knew what was going on around me. All I kept thinking was that I’m trapped inside my body and I can’t get out.”
Typical parent reaction, her father turned around and demanded, “What’s going on back there?” Seeing that Bertsch was looking at him but not cognitive he stopped the car.
“My father got me out of the car and I just slumped to the ground. Then he slapped my face and I didn’t feel anything. My eyes were wide open but I couldn’t see. My parents didn’t know what was wrong,” Bertsch continued.
When her brother started to show the same symptoms and the dog went stiff her father turned off the air conditioning, opened all the windows and rushed them to the nearest hospital that was more than 100 miles away. By the time they got there they were all revived.
If Bertsch hadn’t cried when she did, her parents could have succumbed to the fumes and wrecked the car. Worst-case scenario, they all would have died. But, this story has a happy ending since Bertsch, her brother and the dog were no worse for wear and have shown no signs of long-term effects.
What happens with CO poisoning is that the red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they do oxygen. So the body replaces blood oxygen levels with CO blocking the body from allowing oxygen into the tissues.
For safety, have your boat, your car, your RV, and your home checked for CO levels. There are many monitoring devices on the market.
For under $20 you can protect your home, for a few bucks more you can buy a battery operated monitor for all of your toys.
Have your chimney checked, never burn charcoal indoors, open your garage door before starting your vehicle, get all your gas appliances checked by a professional. And get yourself to the emergency room at the first signs of CO poisoning. You’ll need a blood test and possibly hyperbaric treatment.
• Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 or by email at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. Source: www.CDC.gov.