What are the Five Biggest Carbon Monoxide Mistakes People Make
The five biggest carbon monoxide mistakes are not having an alarm, not evacuating, not identifying source, not going to hospital and hospitals not warning people of the delayed and permanent effects.
By Attorney Gordon Johnson
What are the five biggest mistakes people make in carbon monoxide poisoning events:
1. Not having a Carbon Monoxide Alarm.
Regardless of what local and state codes and laws require, there should be a carbon monoxide alarm everywhere indoors.
2. Not Evacuating at the Sound of the Alarm.
Too often people simply replace batteries because they mistake the alarm for the chirping when it is time to replace batteries.. Alarms are there to warn you of a toxic event that could threaten your life and cause permanent damage to your body. Leave like it is a fire alarm going off. Don’t stop to investigate. Call the landlord, the fire department, 911, after you are safely outside.
3. Not Determining the Cause and Origin of the Carbon Monoxide Leak.
Once the premises of free of CO, it is imperative to figure out where the carbon monoxide came from. If the source of CO isn’t determined, it will happen again. The more often it happens, the worse your outcome will be. Conversely, the more often your alarm goes off, the less you take it seriously. Make sure that the landlord or HVAC company fixes or replaces the appliance. If the appliance is more than 18 years old, it should almost always be replaced.
4. Failure to Seek Medical Care.
Failure to go to hospital and get a blood test for carbon monoxide, happens in the majority of cases where alarms go off. Just because you don’t need to be transported by ambulance doesn’t mean you don’t need to go to the hospital. At a minimum, your blood should be taken to determine the percentage of carbon monoxide in your blood.
5. ER and Hospital Staff not Understanding the Delayed and Permanent Effects of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Too few hospitals take non-life threatening CO poisonings seriously. Too much of the focus is just on getting oxygen and CO levels back to normal. The potential for delayed and permanent effects is not considered. 40% of those who survive alarming level poisonings are likely to have brain damage and other neurological disorders. Regardless of a person’s mental orientation or the improvement in acute symptoms, the secondary effects of CO can still be causing harm. Brain damage is a serious risk. All interventions should be considered and survivors need to be warned of the long term concerns and about the need to return for future care.