Carbon Monoxide poisoning should be a problem of the past, but unfortunately this is not so.
There are approximately 50 accidental deaths in England and Wales each year and 200 people require hospital admission, as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Many others require emergency treatment, in some cases leading to future long term health problems.
To increase awareness, an NHS public information leaflet has been produced for patients and the public giving guidance on preventing CO poisoning and what to do if they suspect they have been affected.
A letter from the Chief Medical Officer has also gone out to health care professionals and PCTs have been encouraged to raise awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning, its diagnosis and prevention, to help reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that you can’t see, taste or smell. It is released when a carbon-containing fuel – such as gas, oil, coal, coke, petrol or wood – doesn’t burn fully because not enough air is available.
This can happen when appliances such as room and water heaters, fires and cookers have been wrongly installed or poorly maintained, or when a chimney, flue or air vent into the room such as an air brick has been fully or partially blocked.
Poor ventilation adds to the problem by allowing CO concentrations to build up. Anyone spending time with faulty appliances will be affected.
Faults can occur in all types of property and the idea that carbon monoxide poisoning is restricted to poorer homes and student accommodation is false.
Owner occupied houses with newly installed oil-powered cooking ranges can also be the site of accidents.
Carbon monoxide can also seep into properties via shared flues and chimneys and people may have been poisoned by carbon monoxide produced by an appliance in a neighbouring property.
The commonest signs and symptoms of CO poisoning include: headache, nausea and vomiting, vertigo, alteration in consciousness and subjective weakness.
The following are suggestive of domestic carbon monoxide poisoning:
- More than one person in the house is affected;
- Symptoms disappear when away from the house e.g. on holiday, or at work but recur on returning home;
- Symptoms related to cooking: stove in use; and
- Symptoms worse in winter: heating in use
The following signs may be recognised in a home:
- Black sooty staining on or around an appliance (e.g. stoves, boilers and fires) such as on the walls;
- Smoke or excessive condensation accumulating in rooms due to faulty flues: though you cannot smell CO, you can often smell other combustion products;
- Yellow or orange, instead of blue, flames from gas appliances or boiler pilot lights.
If symptoms are suspected all cooking and room- or water heating appliances that use fuel other than electricity should be immediately turned off. Open the windows in the room and in other parts of the home to let in fresh air, and move outside.
Further information and guidance can be found at the following sources:
1. Carbon Monoxide – Are you at risk? Patient information leaflet (Available in 12 languages)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance
/DH_090124
2. Department of Health:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Campaigns/DH_121156
3. NHS Choices – Video and further information on CO: www.nhs.uk/carbonmonoxide
4. The Health Protection Agency – Further information on CO:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/CarbonMonoxide/
5. Gas Appliances – Get Them Checked, Keep Them Safe. From the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE). HSE information line 0845 3450055
6. Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society (CO-Gas Safety) – call 01372 466112, or visit www.co-gassafety.co.uk
7. CO-Awareness – call 07715 899296 or visit www.co-awareness.org
