Three Hospitalized In Chicago Condo Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Three workers were hospitalized after using a gas-powered pressure washer in this Chicago condo carbon monoxide poisoning, according to CBS Local. They were operating it in the parking garage, causing the entire condo to be evacuated.

It is never a good idea to run a gas-powered engine indoors. The workers apparently thought that the open overhead doors were giving them enough ventilation. The three workers were able to walk out just fine, but they were taken to the hospital as a precaution. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, confusion, and nausea. Carbon monoxide can sometimes cause chest pains in some people.

In addition, carbon monoxide can cause brain damage. The lack of oxygen starves the parts of the brain that are located at the end of the blood flow route. The gas also causes an excess of glutamate to hang out in the brain. This neurotransmitter is actually deadly to neurons.

The most vulnerable parts of the brain are the hippocampus and the corpus callosum. The hippocampus controls memory. The corpus callosum controls coordination between the right and left brain. This is why we see problems with memory and problems with balance and coordination crop up in patients after carbon monoxide poisoning.

The initial dizziness and nausea is not the only thing you have to worry about as a carbon monoxide poisoning survivor. Additional symptoms can appear in the days and weeks following the poisoning, which is referred to as delayed neurological sequelae (DNS).

This Chicago condo carbon monoxide poisoning sent three to the hospital. If anyone else is experiencing symptoms that was in the condo, they should go see a doctor. The firefighters found levels of carbon monoxide both in the condo and the parking garage, but the levels were obviously higher in the parking garage where the pressure washer was being operated.

It’s possible that other people may have been affected by the carbon monoxide poisoning. The workers would have obviously been affected the most, because they were closest to the source of the carbon monoxide. But airflow into the garage can send the carbon monoxide into the building. The condo was evacuated. Meaning people in the condo could have been affected by the carbon monoxide.

Nobody else was taken to the hospital, so the symptoms must not have been obvious. However, sometimes the damage is subtle. The news article did not say how high the levels of carbon monoxide were in the garage or in the condo itself.

Using a small gas-powered engine indoors can be deadly. For example, a farmer died from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a pressure washer to clean his barn. He was overcome by the gas after about 30 minutes of work. More information on this can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Tool designers should make tools that can be operated safely indoors. And dangerous tools should always have a clear warning label that tells of the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning, that it can be deadly.