What is "carbon monoxide"? Carefully! Carbon monoxide in the house
Signs that carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide (II), carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide) has formed in the air in dangerous concentrations are difficult to determine - invisible, may not smell, accumulates in the room gradually, imperceptibly. It is extremely dangerous for human life: it has a high toxicity, excessive content in the lungs leads to severe poisoning and death. Every year, a high death rate from gas poisoning is recorded. The risk of poisoning can be reduced by following simple rules and the use of special carbon monoxide sensors.
What is carbon monoxide
Natural gas is formed during the combustion of any biomass, in industry it is a combustion product of any carbon-based compounds. In both cases, a prerequisite for gas evolution is a lack of oxygen. Large volumes of it enter the atmosphere as a result of forest fires, in the form of exhaust gases generated during the combustion of fuel in car engines. For industrial purposes, it is used in the production of organic alcohol, sugar, processing of animal meat and fish. A small amount of monoxide is also produced by the cells of the human body.
Properties
From the point of view of chemistry, monoxide is an inorganic compound with a single oxygen atom in the molecule, chemical formula- SO. it Chemical substance, which does not have a characteristic color, taste and smell, it is lighter than air, but heavier than hydrogen, with room temperatures not active. A person who smells, feels only the presence of organic impurities in the air. Belongs to the category of toxic products, death at a concentration in the air of 0.1% occurs within one hour. The characteristic of the maximum permissible concentration is 20 mg / m3.
The effect of carbon monoxide on the human body
For humans, carbon monoxide is a deadly hazard. Its toxic effect is explained by the formation of carboxyhemoglobin in blood cells, a product of the addition of carbon monoxide (II) to blood hemoglobin. High level the content of carboxyhemoglobin causes oxygen starvation, insufficient oxygen supply to the brain and other tissues of the body. With mild intoxication, its content in the blood is low, destruction in a natural way is possible within 4-6 hours. At high concentrations, only medical preparations.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide is one of the most hazardous substances. In case of poisoning, intoxication of the body occurs, accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition of a person. It is very important to recognize the signs of poisoning in time. carbon monoxide. The result of treatment depends on the level of the substance in the body and on how soon help arrived. In this case, minutes count - the victim can either recover completely, or remain sick forever (it all depends on the speed of the rescuers' response).
Symptoms
Depending on the degree of poisoning, headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath, flickering in the eyes, general weakness can be observed. Drowsiness is often observed, which is especially dangerous when a person is in a gassed room. In case of inhalation a large number toxic substances, convulsions, loss of consciousness are observed, in especially severe cases - coma.
First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning
First aid should be provided to the victim on the spot in case of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is necessary to immediately move it to fresh air and call a doctor. You should also remember about your safety: you need to enter a room with a source of this substance only by inhaling deeply, do not breathe inside. Until the doctor arrives, it is necessary to facilitate the access of oxygen to the lungs: unfasten buttons, remove or loosen clothes. If the victim has lost consciousness and stopped breathing, artificial ventilation of the lungs is necessary.
Antidote for poisoning
A special antidote (antidote) for carbon monoxide poisoning is a drug that actively prevents the formation of carboxyhemoglobin. The action of the antidote leads to a decrease in the body's need for oxygen, support for organs sensitive to a lack of oxygen: the brain, liver, etc. It is administered intramuscularly at a dosage of 1 ml immediately after the patient is removed from the area with a high concentration of toxic substances. You can re-enter the antidote no earlier than an hour after the first injection. It can be used for prevention.
Treatment
In the case of mild exposure to carbon monoxide, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, in severe cases, the patient is hospitalized. Already in the ambulance, he is given an oxygen bag or mask. In severe cases, in order to give the body a large dose of oxygen, the patient is placed in a pressure chamber. An antidote is administered intramuscularly. The level of gas in the blood is constantly monitored. Further rehabilitation is medical, the actions of doctors are aimed at restoring the functioning of the brain, of cardio-vascular system, lungs.
Effects
Exposure to carbon monoxide on the body can cause serious diseases: brain performance, behavior, human consciousness change, inexplicable headaches appear. Especially the influence harmful substances memory is the part of the brain that is responsible for the transition of short-term memory into long-term memory. The patient may feel the consequences of carbon monoxide poisoning only after a few weeks. Most victims fully recover after a period of rehabilitation, but some feel the consequences for a lifetime.
How to detect carbon monoxide in a room
Carbon monoxide poisoning is easy at home, and it doesn't just happen during a fire. The concentration of carbon monoxide is formed by careless handling of the stove damper, during the operation of a faulty geyser or ventilation. A gas stove can be a source of carbon monoxide. If there is smoke in the room, this is already a reason to sound the alarm. For constant monitoring of the gas level, there are special sensors. They monitor the level of gas concentration and report the excess of the norm. The presence of such a device reduces the risk of poisoning.
Video
Publication date 28.01.2012 12:18
Carbon monoxide- carbon monoxide, which is too often heard when it comes to poisoning by combustion products, accidents in industry or even at home. Due to special poisonous properties of this compound, an ordinary home gas water heater can cause the death of an entire family. There are hundreds of examples of this. But why is this happening? What is carbon monoxide, really? Why is it dangerous for humans?
What is carbon monoxide, formula, basic properties
Carbon monoxide formula which is very simple and denotes the union of an oxygen atom and carbon - CO, - one of the most toxic gaseous compounds. But unlike many other hazardous substances that are used only for narrow industrial purposes, carbon monoxide chemical contamination can occur during completely ordinary chemical processes, even in everyday life.
However, before moving on to how the synthesis of this substance occurs, consider what is carbon monoxide in general and what are its main physical properties:
- colorless gas without taste and smell;
- extremely low temperatures melting and boiling: -205 and -191.5 degrees Celsius, respectively;
- density 0.00125 g/cc;
- very flammable with high temperature combustion (up to 2100 degrees Celsius).
Carbon monoxide formation
In home or industry carbon monoxide formation usually happens one of several enough simple ways, which easily explains the risk of accidental synthesis of this substance with a risk for the personnel of the enterprise or residents of the house where the malfunction occurred heating equipment or a security breach. Consider the main ways of formation of carbon monoxide:
- combustion of carbon (coal, coke) or its compounds (gasoline and other liquid fuel) in the absence of oxygen. As you might guess, the lack of fresh air, dangerous from the point of view of the risk of carbon monoxide synthesis, easily occurs in internal combustion engines, household speakers with impaired ventilation, industrial and conventional furnaces;
- interaction of ordinary carbon dioxide with hot coal. Such processes occur in the furnace constantly and are completely reversible, but, under the condition of the already mentioned lack of oxygen, with the damper closed, carbon monoxide is formed in significantly large quantities, which poses a mortal danger to humans.
Why is carbon monoxide dangerous?
In sufficient concentration carbon monoxide properties which is explained by its high chemical activity, is extremely dangerous for human life and health. The essence of such poisoning lies, first of all, in the fact that the molecules of this compound instantly bind blood hemoglobin and deprive it of its ability to carry oxygen. Thus, carbon monoxide reduces the level of cellular respiration with the most serious consequences for the body.
Answering the question " Why is carbon monoxide dangerous?"It is worth mentioning that, unlike many other toxic substances, a person does not feel any specific smell, does not experience discomfort and is not able to recognize its presence in the air in any other way, without special equipment. As a result, the victim simply does not take no measures to escape, and when the effects of carbon monoxide (drowsiness and unconsciousness) become apparent, it may be too late.
Carbon monoxide is fatal within an hour at air concentrations above 0.1%. At the same time, in the exhaust of a completely ordinary passenger car contains from 1.5 to 3% of this substance. And that's assuming the engine is in good condition. This easily explains the fact that carbon monoxide poisoning often occurs precisely in garages or inside a car sealed with snow.
Other most dangerous cases in which people have been poisoned by carbon monoxide at home or at work are ...
- overlap or breakdown of the ventilation of the heating column;
- illiterate use of wood or coal stoves;
- on fires in enclosed spaces;
- close to busy highways;
- on the industrial enterprises where carbon monoxide is used extensively.
The tragic incident in Borisov, where carbon monoxide poisoning caused the death of six people, forced us to think about safe operation household appliances even the most frivolous citizens. Most of us are skeptical about the visits of the relevant specialists, considering such control as an event “for show”. per century technical process somehow it is hard to believe that human life can depend on the most simple and everyday things. It turned out, maybe not only his own, but also the life of a neighbor.
The investigation has yet to answer a number of questions, but experts are already confident today that it was the incorrect operation of the chimneys and ventilation that led to the terrible denouement in Borisov. No wonder the echo of this disaster was rampant unscheduled inspections housing stock in all cities of Belarus. And the results of this forced monitoring were not at all comforting. For example, only in the Oktyabrsky district of Grodno, specialists of the Grodno Regional Firefighting Works ChPTUP issued 49 prescriptions to homeowners. There are cases when in small regional centers, such as Oshmyany, the operation of household appliances was suspended. gas appliances in dozens of apartments. Is the concern of specialists justified, or is the principled position due to the high public outcry of the emergency?
To recognize the dangers of a careless attitude to work gas equipment enough to remember short course chemistry. Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most toxic combustion products found in smoke. Once in the circulatory system, it binds to hemoglobin, which, as you know, "transports" oxygen throughout the body, providing the process of respiration. The new compound, carboxyhemoglobin, blocks the transfer of oxygen, resulting in suffocation. The main danger of carbon monoxide is that it is odorless and colorless, and even a small concentration of it is enough to cause irreversible consequences. After a few breaths, the first symptoms of poisoning appear: headache, choking, pounding in the temples, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, visual and auditory hallucinations. With a concentration of CO in the inhaled air of only 1%, after a few breaths, convulsions and motor paralysis occur. The person loses consciousness and dies in 2 to 3 minutes.
The most unpleasant thing is that carboxyhemoglobin is a very stable compound. Carbon monoxide, once in the body, practically paralyzes the entire respiratory system. And it is quite difficult to provide first aid to the victim. Take out to fresh air, free from clothing that restricts breathing, give ammonia a sniff, give strong tea or coffee to drink, if necessary, make artificial respiration- that, perhaps, is the whole set of first rescue actions. Basically, it remains to hope for a quick arrival of doctors and their professional activities. Effective treatment possible only in a hospital setting. And even then only if the concentration of carbon monoxide is still not strong enough.
Thus the only effective method to avoid a tragedy - fulfillment of all requirements for the safe operation of gas boilers and instantaneous water heaters. And here even the most seemingly insignificant claims of experts are fully justified.
According to paragraph 43 of the Rules for the use of gas in everyday life, smoke and ventilation ducts must be checked when the equipment is put into operation, and then before each heating season. But the smoke channels from gas water heaters, if they are made of brick, are checked and cleaned at least once every three months.
The effective operation of ventilation must be checked after each repair. By the way, most of the violations identified during the latest inspections relate precisely to changes to one degree or another in the design of chimneys. Experts suggest that in Borisov, the consequences of the recent renovation of the house, as a result of which the efficiency of the ventilation system deteriorated, played a significant role. Moreover, deflectors (umbrellas) were equipped at the end of the chimneys, which is categorically unacceptable. All this in combination could well lead to a “tipping” of thrust, when the combustion products do not flow out, but, on the contrary, inside. However, it is possible that automatic emergency shutdown did not work, and people could not even realize the mortal danger.
By the way, apartment owners sometimes block the automation themselves if the boiler often turns off “by itself”. Not wanting to understand the reasons for such whims of sensitive equipment, people follow the path of least resistance and, in fact, sign their own verdict.
Now it is fashionable to change the design of apartments. But it's one thing to re-paste the wallpaper or update the furniture, and another thing to touch upon the security systems designed according to all requirements. Thus, changing the cross-sectional shape of the ventilation duct from round to square leads to a decrease in the air exchange area and, as a result, to a deterioration in aerodynamic properties. In addition, at construction work pieces of plaster, bricks, blocks can get into the ventilation. The law of physics is simple: the cross-sectional area of the chimney channel must not be less area section of the chimney pipe of the boiler, but not more than 1.3 times.
Not only can traction worsen foreign objects, but also soot deposits, icing during temperature changes, etc. Therefore, experts advise treating ventilation checks like brushing your teeth - do it regularly before each turning the device on and off.
Sometimes the carelessness of apartment owners reaches such an extent that it is visible to the naked eye on the ventilation grill: it is completely clogged with dust that settles on a sticky layer of fat deposits. What kind of air exchange in this case can we talk about?
AT living conditions The easiest way to check the draft is to attach a piece of paper to the ventilation grille. It should adhere tightly to it under the force of the outgoing air. If this does not happen, you need to sound the alarm. Under no circumstances should a lit match be used as an indicator, as combustible gases may accumulate in the hole, and such a test may result in an explosion.
At the slightest doubt, you need to contact the housing and communal services dispatcher. According to Belarusian legislation, the maintenance of buildings, including ventilation ducts, is the responsibility of the municipal service. Although, as a rule, enterprises serving the housing stock enter into an agreement with specialized organizations that have specially trained employees armed with appropriate equipment. It is probably better to trust the professionals than to try to fix the problem yourself. Moreover, this danger has neither color nor smell.
Carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is lighter than air. The so-called "carbon monoxide smell" is due to impurities organic matter in fuel. Carbon monoxide is produced every time wood is burned. The main reason for the formation of carbon monoxide is the lack of oxygen in the combustion zone. "Ugar" and "burn out" are common names for carbon monoxide poisoning.Formation of carbon monoxide in the furnace
Carbon monoxide is formed when carbon burns in the absence of oxygen. The combustion of fuel in furnaces takes place in several stages: carbon burns out with the release of carbon dioxide CO 2 (incomplete combustion flue gases); then carbon dioxide interacts with hot coke residues of fuel or coal, forming carbon monoxide; carbon monoxide burns (blue flames) to form carbon dioxide, which is removed through the chimney.
In the absence of draft in the furnace (chimney clogged, damper closed prematurely, no supply air for combustion), coals continue to smolder in conditions of insufficient oxygen supply, carbon monoxide does not burn and can spread throughout the heated room, causing a toxic effect on the human body and poisoning (waste).
Carbon monoxide CO and carbon dioxide CO 2
The processes of formation of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and vice versa, during the combustion of fuel in the furnace, occur continuously. When the fuel is almost burnt out, the combustion of carbon monoxide with a blue flame and the formation of carbon dioxide are clearly visible ( component flue gases). At normal conditions combustion, all carbon monoxide burns in the firebox of the furnace with virtually no residue.
Carbon dioxide CO 2 is a colorless gas with a slight sour smell. Carbon dioxide, being heavier than air, accumulates in depressions (cellars, wells, adits, catacombs, caves). When the room is smoky with reverse draft in the chimney, there is just a lot of carbon dioxide.
Carbon monoxide CO is a product of incomplete combustion and a powerful poison. Carbon dioxide poisoning is less toxic.
Causes of carbon monoxide poisoning
Poisonous carbon monoxide's lack of color and odor make carbon monoxide particularly dangerous. The cause of carbon monoxide poisoning is:
- Violation of the rules for the operation of stove heating (untimely closing of the stove damper, insufficient access of fresh air to the firebox, poor draft).
- Faulty operation of the stove and chimney (cracks in the structure of the stove, clogged chimney).
- Finding a person in the fire.
- Vehicle maintenance in a garage or poorly ventilated area.
- Sleeping in a car with the engine running.
- The use of low-quality air in scuba gear and breathing apparatus
- Using a charcoal grill in a barbecue gazebo with poor ventilation.
Symptoms of poisoning are very difficult to recognize at first, so you may not be aware that carbon monoxide is the cause of the ailment. The manifestation of the same symptoms in all people in the same room allows you to recognize the moment of carbon monoxide poisoning.
At a low concentration of carbon monoxide, the first signs of toxic effects and poisoning may appear: lacrimation, headache and dizziness, weakness and nausea, dry cough, confusion, visual and auditory hallucinations are possible. Feeling the symptoms of poisoning, leave the room as soon as possible, going out into the fresh air. In open space, the danger of poisoning is minimal.
With a long stay in a room with a low concentration of carbon monoxide, symptoms of poisoning are observed: respiratory failure, tachycardia, movement coordination disorder, visual hallucinations, drowsiness, blue mucous membranes and facial skin, vomiting, convulsions, loss of consciousness are possible.
With an increased concentration of carbon monoxide in the air of the room, there is a loss of consciousness and a coma with convulsions. Without providing first aid to a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, death can occur.
The effect of carbon monoxide on the body
Carbon monoxide enters through the lungs, binds to hemoglobin in the victim's blood and blocks the transfer of oxygen to tissues and organs. Oxygen starvation disrupts the functioning of the nervous system and brain. The higher the concentration of carbon monoxide and the longer the time spent in the room, the stronger the poisoning and the higher the likelihood of death.
After poisoning, medical supervision within a few days, as complications are often observed. Patients with severe poisoning are subject to hospitalization. Problems with the lungs and nervous system possible even a few weeks after carbon monoxide poisoning. Interesting but true: women are less affected by carbon monoxide than men.
First aid for poisoning
It must be remembered that during the removal of the victim from a room with a dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide, first of all, it is necessary to protect yourself, in order to avoid poisoning as well. The main "antidote" for carbon monoxide poisoning is oxygen. First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Remove victim to fresh air.
- Eliminate the intake of carbon monoxide. Ventilate the room (open windows and doors) and leave the room.
- If the victim is conscious, provide continuous access to fresh air and short-term inhalation ammonia, rub the body. Call an ambulance.
- If the victim is unconscious, artificial respiration should be started immediately until consciousness is regained or until the ambulance arrives.
- Notify the emergency physician if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide detector or alarm
Poisoning or fumes are easier to avoid by using a self-contained alarm or carbon monoxide detector in the home. If the concentration of carbon monoxide in a residential building or technical room will exceed allowable level, the sensor signals, warning of danger. Carbon monoxide detectors are electrochemical sensors designed to continuously monitor the level of CO in indoor air and react with sound and light signals to elevated level concentration of carbon monoxide.
When choosing an alarm sensor, you should pay attention to the features of the devices (with external similarity): smoke alarms and sensors open fire, carbon monoxide sensors CO and carbon dioxide sensors CO 2 respond to different components in the room air. Carbon monoxide detectors are mounted at a height of 1.5 meters from the floor (some manufacturers recommend 15-20 cm from the ceiling), the smoke detector should be hung from the ceiling, the carbon dioxide CO 2 detector is recommended for installation at floor level or at the level of the instrument panel ( carbon dioxide is heavier than air).
In many countries, the use of the above sensors is regulated by law to ensure the health and safety of the public. In Europe, only a smoke detector is mandatory. Installation in houses with furnace heating or a carbon monoxide detector fireplace with us is still a voluntary matter. Carbon monoxide detectors are relatively inexpensive, although it is incorrect to measure the price of a human life in money.
Prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning
If you follow the safety rules, you can avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Do not use fuel burning devices without sufficient knowledge, skills and tools.
- Make sure that the furnace, chimney, supply and exhaust ventilation are working properly.
- Don't burn charcoal indoors with poor ventilation.
- On the smoke channels For wood-burning stoves, two tight valves should be installed in series, and on the channels of coal or peat stoves, one valve with a hole in it with a diameter of 15 mm. (Clause 3.72 of SNiP 2.04.05-91*)
- Do not leave your car in the garage with the engine running.
Carbon monoxide during the operation of furnace heating
A stove or fireplace with a closed valve and unburned fuel is a source of carbon monoxide and an imperceptible poisoner. Considering that the fuel has completely burned out, the owners of the stove close the chimney damper to save heat. Smoldering coals with a lack of air form carbon monoxide, which enters the room through leaky sections of the furnace structure.
With weak draft in the chimney and without air supply, chemical underburning of the fuel takes place, and as a result, the formation and accumulation of carbon monoxide. The air supply should be sufficient both to maintain the combustion process and to provide optimal draft in the design of the stove or fireplace. Sealed rooms and lack of fresh air - problems natural ventilation and reasons poor traction in the fireplace.
For good combustion of fuel, the furnace firebox should be supplied with required amount supply air, especially when burning coal. If there are a few unburned firebrands left in the firebox or stove, it is better to extinguish them or give them time to burn out completely. When the coals darken and there are no flames above them, after ten minutes the valve can be closed. Finish the operation of the fireplace or furnace furnace should be 2 hours before bedtime.
If the stove or fireplace is properly operated and maintained, the amount of carbon monoxide produced during the combustion of the fuel is usually not dangerous. Caution is the key to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Outside the window it is cold and damp, stoves and fireplaces are heated in the dachas. Many still do not refuse traditional wood heating: not everyone has gas, and electric heaters are not very economical. Yes, and it is difficult, perhaps, to replace a living flame with something, which is so pleasant to bask in autumn evenings.
But a stove or fireplace can pose a threat to the life and health of its owner. And it's not about the possibility of a fire. There is an invisible, imperceptible, insidious danger - carbon monoxide. Poisoning by this by-product of combustion often leads to death, so it will not be superfluous to know how to prevent the danger, and what to do if someone is still injured.
A little bit of theory
Carbon monoxide, or carbon monoxide, or carbon monoxide (CO), is often referred to as the "silent killer". The main problem is that he has no color, no taste, no smell, does not cause any sensations at all (until it's too late). It is impossible to detect "by eye", and for the victim, his presence remains unnoticed. At the same time, the gas spreads quickly, mixing with air without losing its toxic properties.For humans, carbon monoxide is strongest poison. Entering the body during breathing, it penetrates from the lungs into the circulatory system, where it combines with hemoglobin. As a result, the blood loses its ability to carry and deliver oxygen to the tissues, and the body very quickly begins to experience a lack of it. First of all, the brain suffers, but other organs can also be affected, depending on the general state of health. According to an old proverb: "Where it is thin, it breaks there."
By the way, it would be a mistake to think that the threat of poisoning exists only in houses with stove heating. Carbon monoxide formed during incomplete combustion of any fuel. Gas, coal, firewood, gasoline and so on - it doesn't matter. Only the degree of risk is different.
The "leaders" in terms of the amount of carbon monoxide released during combustion are coal . For environment considered the main source of pollution cars. They are potentially dangerous for their owners - every year a lot of motorists die in their own garages. The habit of working with the car engine turned on (for heating), plus the lack of ventilation - and here is the sad result for you ...
Finally, according to scientists, cigarette smoke the concentration of CO2 exceeds the maximum allowable by 8 times, so smokers indoors and those who are with them are also at risk - especially if the ventilation is poor.
Natural gas in itself is safe - but only if it is of proper quality, there is good ventilation and the use of serviceable equipment installed in accordance with all the rules. Cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in apartments where they stand geysers, alas, are fixed annually.
Let's finish this theory and move on to purely practical questions: how to avoid poisoning and how to help the victim if it was not possible to prevent the problem.
How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
In fact, most people already know about it. However, poisoning does happen. So, we will repeat what may seem to someone to be banal and well-known rules.1. Use only serviceable equipment
Cracks in oven masonry, a clogged chimney and similar "little things" can lead to serious consequences.2. Take care of good ventilation
In city apartments, poisoning occurs just during the off-season: central heating not included, residents are saved from dampness and cold using gas stoves ... With insufficient ventilation, even such “safe” appliances sometimes cause tragedies.In the country, hardly anyone is warmed by gas stove, but geysers in country houses- Not unusual. In general, good ventilation is needed in any home.
3. Do not close the stove damper until the coals have burnt out
This is what everyone seems to know. Nevertheless ... I will give a case from real life.My colleague got a house in the village from his mother, and she and her husband went there for the weekend until late autumn. They usually come on Friday - late in the evening, after work. In order not to enter cold house, asked the neighbor to heat the stove by this time. And then one day they arrived, as usual - it's warm in the house; had dinner, went to bed...
A colleague said that she woke up in the middle of the night because she felt bad. Lucky: many fail to wake up - a significant proportion of carbon monoxide poisoning occurs during sleep. She grew up in the village, so she quickly figured out what was happening - the first thing she did was wake up her husband and open the doors to air the house. She stepped out onto the porch for some fresh air.
In the morning we asked a neighbor. It turned out that she - although she herself was also a village woman, had lived all her life with stove heating - decided to close the damper early so that it would be warmer. From good intentions. As they say, even an old woman can be a wreck ... Another confirmation: you don’t have to “hopefully” in such matters - maybe you’ll be lucky, or maybe not ...
A colleague and her husband escaped with a headache for the whole day and increased pressure. It can be considered a rare success, especially when you consider that both are aged people, with a whole “collection” of diseases ... She says: “God saved,” but it’s not in vain that she says folk wisdom: trust in God, but don’t make a mistake yourself ... Therefore, I repeat: do not rush to close the stove damper. By the way, this also applies to the bath stove in full.
4. Car enthusiasts, do not run the engine in the garage for heating
The ventilation here is often “lame” (see point 2), and therefore there is no need to tempt fate. If you work in the garage during the cold season, use safer heaters than car engine.That's all, in fact ... Is it true that following these rules is quite simple? ..
Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning
Symptoms of poisoning can vary markedly - depending on the degree of damage, the general condition of the body, existing diseases and other circumstances. However, you should certainly be alerted by such symptoms how:- dizziness, headache
- nausea, vomiting
- noise in ears
- shortness of breath, cough
- watery eyes.
The condition of the victim is often excited, but in some cases, on the contrary, lethargy and drowsiness are observed. There may be a violation of the vestibular apparatus (loss of balance, problems with coordination of movements), hearing and vision disorders. These symptoms may precede loss of consciousness.
In case of poisoning moderate and severe problems in the work of the cardiovascular system are very likely. Arrhythmias occur (you will notice that the pulse has become uneven, intermittent); blood pressure drops, body temperature drops. AT similar situation without timely medical attention, the victim may die from cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction.
First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning
At mild poisoning(if the case was limited to dizziness and nausea) it is usually enough to take (or take out) a person to fresh air. But until his condition completely returns to normal, observe, fix any changes in order to come to the rescue in time, if necessary.At severe poisoning and defeats moderate usually requires hospitalization. And, in any case, you should not try to do without medical help - call an ambulance without delay.
Why? Firstly, in such cases it is difficult to predict how the situation will develop: sometimes the victim dies instantly from cardiac arrest; convulsions or paralysis may occur; respiratory depression and other symptoms that require immediate qualified intervention are very likely.
Secondly, carbon monoxide poisoning is dangerous and the possibility of serious complications, including from the brain, respiratory organs, and the cardiovascular system. Delivered on time and correctly health care able to prevent many of these complications.
The main task while waiting for the doctor is alleviate the condition of the victim to the best of your ability.
- If chills begin, the temperature drops, wrap up warmer, drink sweet tea (if the person is conscious, of course).
- Make yourself comfortable (and preferably on fresh air or at least have open window) to make breathing easier.
- Calm down if scared or excited.
- Lay the unconscious person on his side and make sure that his head does not throw back, especially if vomiting suddenly occurs.
Please note: There is an antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning.. This drug is called acyzol, is available in the form of capsules and as a solution in ampoules (for intramuscular injection). It is highly desirable to keep it in a summer first-aid kit (although not cheap, but life and health are more expensive). It is recommended for use, including as prophylactic - if there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. AT medicinal purposes this antidote (i.e. antidote) should be taken as early as possible; it reduces the likelihood of complications and significantly reduces the degree of exposure to the poison on the body.
However, I hope you never have to use these recommendations. But it is better to meet the danger fully armed - prepared and aware. And even better - do everything to avoid such a meeting altogether.