BEEP. It was a shrill chirp. BEEP, there it was again. It didn’t take long for us to figure out that it was our carbon monoxide detector signaling that it had come to the end of its life. The display even said END (no need to evacuate.) It had lasted exactly ten years. Time to replace it.
It was also a good reminder to update this post.
We are still enjoying nice weather, but winter is right around the corner.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless poison gas that can be fatal when inhaled. It can be referred to by its chemical symbol CO. CO binds to hemoglobin with much greater affinity than oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). This compound is hundreds of times more efficient than oxygen at attaching to the cells, so even small amounts can deprive our bodies of vital oxygen.
Here is an important consideration. Normally if someone is deprived of oxygen they may look pale or cyanotic (bluish); in the case of CO poisoning, the color will remain nice and pink.
Also, a standard pulse oximeter may not be an accurate indicator of whether or not there is a problem.
One of our local ER docs who allowed me to pick his brain added that one of the tricky things about CO poisoning is that the symptoms are very vague and nonspecific. If carbon monoxide exposure is suspected, a specific blood test should be done to check the carboxyhemoglobin level.
A faster than normal heart rate (tachycardia) is the only really reliable physical exam finding.
Mild exposure might cause slight headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Of course, this can easily be mistaken for flu or viral syndrome.
Medium exposure symptoms would be a throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion and a rapid heart rate.
Extreme exposure will lead to unconsciousness, seizures, and cardio-respiratory failure that usually is fatal. The effects of exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of exposure. In severe cases, for folks who survive an exposure, it can cause irreversible brain damage by starving the brain of oxygen.
Young children and pets are thought to be especially vulnerable.
Pregnant women should also be especially careful because the fetus can be seriously impacted.
More than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional, non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning, alongside over 100,000 emergency department visits and 14,000 hospitalizations
More people need to be aware of the risks!
How many of you own a carbon monoxide detector?
If you do, good for you. Make sure that it is in good working order. The units do not last forever. In some of the older units, batteries need to be changed annually (at least) and some units suggest that you vacuum the cover monthly to remove accumulated dust.
If you are one of the many who do not yet own one, please remedy that immediately.
It has been the law in California for 25 years and yet somehow there are still people who aren’t aware of the need to own one. Homes with a fireplace, attached garage, or any gas appliances are at higher risk.
If you are renting and there is not a unit in your apartment, call your landlord immediately and get that remedied.
Note: All-electric homes with no attached garage or fuel-burning devices are exempt
What to do if the alarm goes off
A carbon monoxide alarm is similar to a smoke detector because it monitors the air in your home and sounds a loud alarm to alert you of trouble.
However, the way you respond to a CO alarm is very different from a smoke detector.
When a smoke detector goes off, it is pretty easy to judge the level of danger. You can see or smell the smoke.
On the other hand, because CO is completely undetectable to your senses, you are dependent on the alarm to let you know there is a problem.
If the alarm sounds:
Operate the test/reset button
Call 911
Immediately move to fresh air (make sure that everyone in the household is accounted for.)
Do not go back in until you have the ‘all clear’ from the emergency responders.
Concentrations of CO between 1 and 30 ppm can often occur in normal, everyday conditions. See the chart below for CO levels and corresponding symptoms.
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A friend of mine is a lawyer who was involved in a heartbreaking case where a guest at a Bay Area hotel sustained long term health impairment from an exposure.
The victim’s room was above the hotel pool and a faulty boiler used to heat the pool vented carbon monoxide into his room. When he didn’t show up for dinner, his friends found him unresponsive.
It was a very alert physician in the emergency room who figured out the cause. It was only at that point that the hotel was evacuated.
This is not an isolated incident. As a result, my lawyer friend got in the habit of taking a portable detector along with him anytime he traveled!
Because heaters and fireplaces are often involved, exposure is usually higher during the winter months. Outdoor appliances, such as grills, and even generators, need to be properly vented and should not be used indoors.
If you have a generator as part of your safety plan (not a bad idea for earthquake or fire related power outages), it is essential to make sure that it is properly ventilated.
My personal CO stories
My first experience with a Carbon Monoxide alarm was back in 2007. I was at my family home in Pittsburgh and my dad had died several days earlier.
My sisters and I were all staying at the house when on that cold November night, we were woken up by a shrill alarm.
We frankly had no idea what it was.
After searching around a bit we found that it was the carbon monoxide detector going off.
We weren’t sure of the correct action plan, but to play it safe we called 911 and huddled outside on the front porch until the firemen arrived.
They went through the house with all of the monitors and everything seemed safe.
Our best guess was that it was my physicist dad on the other side trying to figure out how things worked.
I kid you not, the very next night the smoke detector went off for no apparent reason.
Radios and lights were turning on and off.
In our family, we just shrugged; these types of incidents are not isolated; I am currently writing a book about this side of my life.
After that encounter, I educated myself about carbon monoxide alarms.
Several years later when my daughter Alana was still living in Michigan, her CO alarm went off and she knew enough to get outside and call 911 immediately.
After the fact she recounted her conversation with the fireman who had responded:
“I am worried about my cats, can you help get them out?”
“What do they look like?
“They LOOK LIKE CATS!”
Happily the kitties were all safely brought out of the apartment. The best guess for what set off the alarm was something faulty with the air conditioning system.
It went off several times with no clear source identified, which prompted her to move to a different apartment.
You may not think that your home is at risk, but there is NO downside to investing in an alarm (plus you are complying with the law.)
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