What are the primary causes of smoke inhalation. How can you recognize the symptoms of smoke inhalation. What are the most effective treatment strategies for smoke inhalation.

Understanding Smoke Inhalation: A Comprehensive Overview

Smoke inhalation is a serious health hazard that can occur during fires, often leading to severe respiratory complications and, in extreme cases, death. It’s crucial to understand the nature of this condition to effectively prevent and treat it.

Is smoke inhalation really that dangerous? Indeed, it is the leading cause of fire-related deaths, surpassing burns and other injuries. The severity of smoke inhalation lies in its ability to damage the respiratory system through various mechanisms, including oxygen deprivation and chemical irritation.

The Composition of Smoke

What exactly is smoke composed of? Smoke is a complex mixture of heated particles and gases produced during combustion. Its exact composition can vary significantly depending on several factors:

• The materials being burned
• The temperature of the fire
• The amount of oxygen available

These variables make it challenging to predict the precise contents of smoke in any given fire scenario, which contributes to the unpredictable nature of smoke inhalation injuries.

The Mechanisms of Smoke Inhalation Injury

How does smoke inhalation actually harm the body? Smoke can damage the respiratory system and overall health through several mechanisms:

1. Simple asphyxiation
2. Chemical irritation
3. Thermal irritation
4. Chemical asphyxiation

Often, smoke inhalation injuries result from a combination of these factors, making treatment complex and multifaceted.

Simple Asphyxiation

How can smoke lead to asphyxiation? In two primary ways:

1. Oxygen depletion: The combustion process can rapidly consume oxygen in the vicinity of the fire, leaving little for victims to breathe.
2. Displacement by other gases: Some byproducts of combustion, such as carbon dioxide, while not directly harmful, can displace oxygen in the air, leading to asphyxiation.

Chemical Irritation

What makes smoke so irritating to the respiratory system? Fires often produce a range of chemical irritants that can cause direct injury to the respiratory tract. These substances can disrupt the normal lining of the airways, potentially leading to:

• Swelling
• Airway collapse
• Respiratory distress

Common chemical irritants found in smoke include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and chlorine. The presence of these irritants can significantly exacerbate the overall impact of smoke inhalation.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Smoke Inhalation

How can you tell if someone has suffered from smoke inhalation? The symptoms can vary in severity and may not appear immediately. Common signs include:

• Coughing and wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Headache
• Changes in mental state
• Soot in the nostrils or throat

Are the symptoms always immediate? No, in some cases, symptoms may not become apparent until several hours after exposure. This delayed onset can make diagnosis challenging and underscores the importance of seeking medical attention following any significant smoke exposure.

Long-term Effects of Smoke Inhalation

Can smoke inhalation have lasting effects? Unfortunately, yes. Severe cases of smoke inhalation can lead to chronic respiratory issues, including:

• Reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS)
• Chronic bronchitis
• Increased susceptibility to respiratory infections

These long-term consequences highlight the importance of proper treatment and follow-up care for smoke inhalation victims.

Diagnosis and Medical Assessment of Smoke Inhalation

How do medical professionals diagnose smoke inhalation? The diagnostic process typically involves a combination of clinical assessment and laboratory tests:

1. Physical examination: Doctors will look for signs of respiratory distress, burns, and soot in the airways.
2. Blood tests: These can measure oxygen levels and detect the presence of toxic substances like carbon monoxide.
3. Chest X-rays: To assess lung damage and look for signs of pneumonia or pulmonary edema.
4. Pulmonary function tests: To evaluate lung capacity and function.

Is a blood gas test important in smoke inhalation cases? Absolutely. A blood gas test is crucial as it measures the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and acid in the blood, providing vital information about the severity of the inhalation injury and guiding treatment decisions.

Immediate Treatment Strategies for Smoke Inhalation

What are the first steps in treating smoke inhalation? Immediate treatment focuses on ensuring adequate oxygenation and addressing any chemical exposures:

• Oxygen therapy: Often administered through a mask to increase blood oxygen levels.
• Bronchodilators: To help open airways and improve breathing.
• Intravenous fluids: To maintain hydration and support circulation.
• Medication: Including antibiotics if there’s a risk of infection, and corticosteroids to reduce airway inflammation.

In severe cases, intubation and mechanical ventilation may be necessary to support breathing.

The Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help in smoke inhalation cases? In certain situations, particularly when carbon monoxide poisoning is involved, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be beneficial. This treatment involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, which can accelerate the elimination of carbon monoxide from the body and reduce the risk of long-term neurological complications.

Home Care and Recovery from Smoke Inhalation

How can patients care for themselves at home following smoke inhalation? Recovery from smoke inhalation often involves a combination of rest and supportive care:

• Get plenty of rest and sleep to aid recovery.
• Use cough drops or hard candy to soothe a sore throat.
• Take prescribed medications, including antibiotics and bronchodilators, exactly as directed.
• Avoid irritants like smoke, cold dry air, or hot humid air.
• Use a spirometer if provided to monitor lung function.

Is it normal to feel tired after smoke inhalation? Yes, fatigue is common following smoke inhalation. The body expends significant energy in healing and recovering from the injury, which can lead to feelings of weakness and tiredness. This typically improves with time as the body heals.

Monitoring Recovery and Follow-up Care

How should patients monitor their recovery? It’s important to watch for any changes in symptoms and maintain regular follow-up appointments with healthcare providers. Patients should be alert for signs that may indicate complications or incomplete recovery, such as:

• Persistent or worsening cough
• Coughing up colored or bloody mucus
• Increased difficulty breathing
• Fever

Any of these symptoms should prompt immediate medical attention.

Prevention and Safety Measures Against Smoke Inhalation

How can individuals protect themselves from smoke inhalation? Prevention is key in avoiding smoke inhalation injuries. Some essential safety measures include:

• Installing and maintaining smoke detectors in all living areas
• Creating and practicing a fire escape plan
• Using caution with potential fire hazards like candles, cigarettes, and heating equipment
• Keeping fire extinguishers readily available and knowing how to use them

In the event of a fire, staying low to the ground where the air is clearer and covering the nose and mouth with a damp cloth can help reduce smoke inhalation.

Special Considerations for High-Risk Groups

Are certain individuals at higher risk for smoke inhalation complications? Yes, some groups are particularly vulnerable to the effects of smoke inhalation:

• Children: Their developing lungs and higher respiratory rates make them more susceptible.
• Elderly individuals: Often have pre-existing respiratory conditions that can be exacerbated by smoke.
• People with chronic lung or heart diseases: May experience more severe symptoms and complications.

These high-risk groups should take extra precautions and seek medical attention promptly if exposed to smoke.

The Future of Smoke Inhalation Treatment

What advancements are being made in smoke inhalation treatment? Research in this field is ongoing, with several promising areas of development:

• Improved airway management techniques
• Novel pharmacological interventions to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
• Advanced imaging technologies for more accurate diagnosis and monitoring
• Innovative respiratory support devices

These advancements aim to improve outcomes and reduce long-term complications for smoke inhalation victims.

The Role of Nanotechnology in Treatment

How might nanotechnology impact smoke inhalation treatment? Emerging research is exploring the potential of nanoparticles in delivering targeted therapies directly to damaged lung tissue. This approach could potentially enhance the effectiveness of treatments while minimizing systemic side effects.

As our understanding of smoke inhalation pathophysiology grows and technology advances, we can expect to see more sophisticated and effective treatment strategies emerge in the coming years.

Smoke Inhalation: Care Instructions | Kaiser Permanente

Skip Navigation

Your Care Instructions

Breathing in hot air, smoke, or chemical fumes can cause irritation or swelling in your air passages. Being in or near a fire can cause wheezing and breathing problems. You may not notice these problems until several hours later. Inhaling smoke or other irritants can also poison your body. This is more likely if plastics or synthetic materials were burned.

You probably had a blood test and other tests that measured how your lungs were working. You may have had a blood gas test to measure the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and acid in your blood. Your doctor may have given you oxygen through a mask to help you breathe.

You may have a cough, shortness of breath, and pain while you heal. If you inhaled soot, you may cough up gray or black mucus.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It’s also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

• Get plenty of rest and sleep. You may feel weak and tired for a while, but your energy level will improve with time. Prop up your head on pillows to help you breathe and ease a cough.
• Suck on cough drops or hard candy to soothe a dry or sore throat. Cough drops do not stop a cough.
• Take cough medicine if your doctor tells you to.
• Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Avoid things that may irritate your lungs. This might include cold, dry air or hot, humid air.
• If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicines your doctor prescribes.
• If your doctor prescribed medicine to make breathing easier, such as a bronchodilator or inhaled corticosteroid, use it exactly as directed.
• If you were given a spirometer to measure how well your lungs are working, use it as instructed. This can help your doctor tell how your recovery is going.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You have trouble breathing.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You cough up yellow, dark brown, or bloody mucus.
• Your coughing or wheezing gets worse.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You do not get better as expected.

Where can you learn more?

Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd

Enter h358 in the search box to learn more about “Smoke Inhalation: Care Instructions”.

Smoke Inhalation

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on May 01, 2023

• Smoke Inhalation Overview
• Smoke Inhalation Causes
• Smoke Inhalation Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Smoke Inhalation Treatment
• Next Steps
• Prevention
• Multimedia
• More

The number one cause of death related to fires is smoke inhalation.  

Smoke inhalation occurs when you breathe in the products of combustion during a fire. Combustion results from the rapid breakdown of a substance by heat (more commonly called burning). Smoke is a mixture of heated particles and gases. It is impossible to predict the exact composition of smoke produced by a fire. The products being burned, the temperature of the fire, and the amount of oxygen available to the fire all make a difference in the type of smoke produced.

Smoke inhalation damages the body by simple asphyxiation (lack of oxygen), chemical or thermal irritation, chemical asphyxiation, or a combination of these.

Simple asphyxiants

• Combustion can use up oxygen near the fire and lead to death when there is no oxygen left to breathe
   
• Smoke itself can contain products that do not cause direct harm to you, but that take up the space needed for oxygen. Carbon dioxide, for instance, acts in this way.

Irritant compounds

Combustion can result in the formation of chemicals that cause direct injury when they contact your skin and mucous membranes. These substances disrupt the normal lining of the respiratory tract. This disruption can potentially cause swelling, airway collapse, and respiratory distress. Examples of chemical irritants found in smoke include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and chlorine.

In addition, the high temperature of the smoke can cause thermal damage to the airways.

Chemical asphyxiants

A fire can produce compounds that do damage by interfering with your body’s oxygen use at a cellular level. Carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and hydrogen sulfide are all examples of chemicals produced in fires that interfere with the use of oxygen by the cell.

If either the delivery of oxygen or the use of oxygen is inhibited, cells will die. Carbon monoxide has been found to be the leading cause of death in smoke inhalation.

Numerous signs and symptoms of smoke inhalation may develop. Symptoms may include cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness, headache, and acute mental status changes.

Signs such as soot in airway passages or skin color changes may be useful in determining the degree of injury.

• Cough: When the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract get irritated, they secrete more mucus. Bronchospasm and increased mucus lead to reflex coughing. The mucus may be either clear or black depending on the degree of burned particles deposited in the lungs and trachea.
   
• Shortness of breath: This may be caused by direct injury to the respiratory tract leading to decreased oxygen getting to the blood. The blood itself may have decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. This could be the result of chemicals in the smoke or the inability of cells to use oxygen.
  This can lead to rapid breathing resulting from the attempt to compensate for these injuries.
   
• Hoarseness or noisy breathing: This may be a sign that fluids are collecting in the upper airway where they may cause a blockage. Also, chemicals may irritate vocal cords, causing spasm, swelling, and constriction of the upper airways.
   
• Eyes:Eyes may become red and irritated from the smoke. The corneas may also have burns on them.
   
• Skin color: Skin color may range from pale to bluish to cherry red.
   
• Soot: Soot in the nostrils or throat may give a clue as to the degree of smoke inhalation. Inhalation can lead to nostrils and nasal passages swelling.
   
• Headache: In all fires, people are exposed to various quantities of carbon monoxide. Even if there are no respiratory problems, carbon monoxide may still have been inhaled. Headache, nausea, and vomiting are all symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
   
• Changes in mental status: Chemical asphyxiants and low levels of oxygen can lead to mental status changes. Confusion, fainting, seizures, and coma are all potential complications following smoke inhalation.

Everyone who has suffered from smoke inhalation needs to have their “A.B.C’s” checked. That is Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. Call your doctor or go to your local emergency department for advice. If you have no signs or symptoms, home observation may be recommended.

Call 911 if you experience the following symptoms with smoke inhalation:

• Hoarse voice
• Difficulty breathing
• Drawn out coughing spells
• Mental confusion

Someone with smoke inhalation can get worse quickly. If such a person were transported by private vehicle, significant injury or death could occur on the way that could have been avoided if that person were transported by emergency medical services.

A number of tests and procedures may be done. Which tests depends on the severity of the signs and symptoms.

• Chest X-ray: Respiratory complaints such as persistent cough and shortness of breath, indicate the need for a chest X-ray. The initial X-ray may be normal despite significant signs and symptoms. A repeat X-ray may be needed during the observation period to determine if there is delayed lung injury.
• Pulse oximetry: A light probe is attached typically to the finger, toe, or earlobe to determine the degree of oxygen in the person’s blood. Pulse oximetry has limitations. Low blood pressure, for instance, can make it inaccurate if not enough blood is getting to the parts of the body where the probe is attached.
• Blood tests
  • Complete blood count: This test determines whether there are enough red blood cells to carry oxygen, enough white blood cells to fight infection, and enough platelets to ensure clotting.
  • Chemistries (also called basic metabolic profile):  Serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) can be monitored. Renal (kidney) function tests (creatinine and blood urea nitrogen) are also monitored.
  • Arterial blood gas: For people with significant respiratory distress, acute mental status changes, or shock, an arterial blood gas may be obtained. This test tells you the blood pH and can help the doctor decide the degree of oxygen shortage.
  • Carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin levels: This level should be obtained in all smoke inhalation victims with respiratory distress, altered mental status, low blood pressure, seizures, fainting, and blood pH changes. It is now routinely done in many hospitals whenever arterial blood gas is assessed.

Self-Care at Home

Remove the person with smoke inhalation from the scene to a location with clean air.

Make sure that you are not putting yourself in danger before you attempt to pull someone from a smoke-filled environment. If you would be taking a serious risk to help the person, wait for trained professionals to arrive at the scene.

If necessary, CPR should be initiated by trained bystanders until emergency medical help arrives.

Medical Treatment

A number of treatments may be given for smoke inhalation.

• Oxygen: Oxygen is the mainstay of treatment. It may be applied with a nose tube or mask or through a tube put down the throat. If there are signs of upper airway problems, for example hoarseness, the person may need to be intubated. To do this, the doctor places a tube down the person’s throat to keep the airway from closing due to swelling. If there is respiratory distress or mental status changes, the person may be intubated to let the staff help with breathing, to suction off mucus, and keep the person from breathing the contents of their own stomach.
• Bronchoscopy: Bronchoscopy is a procedure done to look at the degree of damage to the airways through a small scope and to allow suctioning of secretions and debris. Usually it’s done through an endotracheal tube (a thin tube with a camera attached) after the person has been given sedation and pain relievers. The procedure may be needed if there is growing respiratory failure, failure to demonstrate clinical improvement, or a segment of the lung remains collapsed.
• Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO): If the person has carbon monoxide poisoning, hyperbaric oxygenation may be considered. Hyperbaric oxygenation is a treatment in which the person is given oxygen in a compression chamber. Some studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygenation causes a reduction in symptoms of the nervous system. In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, it may make recovery quicker. The indications for and availability of this treatment vary depending on the institution and the region in which the person is hospitalized.

Follow-up

Once the person leaves the hospital, follow-up care is typically arranged. If the condition worsens or doesn’t improve the way it is expected to after discharge, the person should return immediately to the emergency department.

Medications such as various inhalers and pain medications may be prescribed. There may still be shortness of breath with minimal exertion. It may take time for the lungs to fully heal, and some people may have scarring and shortness of breath for the rest of their lives. It’s important to avoid triggering factors such as cigarette smoke.

Persistent hoarseness may occur in people who have sustained burn or smoke inhalation injuries or both. Early attention to these problems, many of which are treatable surgically, behaviorally or both, could lead to an improved voice.

Prevention is key when discussing smoke inhalation. Numerous prevention strategies can be employed to avoid exposure to smoke.

• Smoke detectors should be placed in every room of an occupied building. This should ensure early detection of smoke and allow time for evacuation.
• Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed in locations at risk for carbon monoxide exposure (such as near furnaces or garages).
• Escape routes and plans for how to escape should be worked out before there is a fire and reviewed periodically.
• Numbers for the police, fire department, and the local poison control center should be kept in a visible place for an emergency. Find the poison control center now by checking the web site of the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Media file 1: A smoke inhalation victim. Note the soot in the nostrils and the degree of swelling of the face. His voice was hoarse upon arrival. He had an endotracheal intubation performed (a tube was placed in their airway to help him breathe) because of concern of significant airway edema (swelling) and potential for airway obstruction.

Media type: Photo

Media file 2: State-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chamber by HyperTec.

Media type: Photo

Media file 3: State-of-the-art single person chamber by HyperTec.
 

Media type: Photo

Top Picks

First aid for poisoning.

Medical at home. First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning

– Toxicologist consultation

When is first aid needed for poisoning?

If the victim:

• Not breathing
• Passed out
• Has convulsions
• Experiencing repeated nausea, vomiting, loose stools for a long time

First aid for poisoning in various ways:

• Poison in eyes?
  Flush eyes with running water.
• Poison on skin?
  Remove all clothing that has been exposed to the poison. Rinse eyes with running water.
• Have you inhaled poison?
  Move to fresh air immediately.
• Have you swallowed poison?
  Do not try to induce vomiting with home remedies. Call 03, 112.

You can get quick, expert advice by calling a poison control center. We can provide Poison first aid and follow-up to you and your family, and answer questions about intoxication. Toxicologists are involved in the treatment of poisonous lesions.

First aid for poisoning may be required for exposure to the following substances :

• Medicines (prescription, over-the-counter, herbs) and narcotic substances.
• Household items such as shampoo, bleach, insect and weed killers, antifreeze and kerosene
• Chemicals in the workplace
• Bites and stings
• Mushrooms and plants
• Vapors and gases

Toxic effects can be caused by taking the wrong dose of a medicine, taking someone else’s medicine, accidentally ingesting dishwashing detergent, cleaning agent, or drinking too much alcohol (alcohol poisoning). In the latter case, with frequent use of alcohol, alcoholism treatment and withdrawal from binge may be required.

Carbon monoxide poisoning. First aid for poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning (CO) is one of the most common and most dangerous types, also because it has neither color nor smell, and a person does not immediately understand the cause of the deterioration, and CO poison has a quick toxic effect.

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs as a result of oxygen starvation of the body “from the inside”. Getting into the blood, the poison affects the hemoglobin blood cells, the main function of which is to supply oxygen to all organs of the body, the whole body experiences oxygen starvation.

Carbon monoxide poisoning, which requires first aid, is possible in the following situations:

• vehicle exhaust gases (long-term exposure to confined spaces)
• household carbon monoxide (gas leak, malfunction of gas appliances, etc.)
• in case of fire

Providing first aid for carbon monoxide poisoning plays a huge role in saving a person’s life. With a content of 1.28% carbon monoxide in the air, death occurs in 3 minutes.

First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning is to deliver oxygen to all organs and reduce the number of affected hemoglobin cells. You need to do everything necessary for the supply of oxygen:

• stop the action of carbon monoxide (take the victim to fresh air, open windows if possible (except in case of fire), turn off the source of CO)
• ensure free breathing (clear airways, breathing mask, loosening tight clothing)
• it is desirable to bring to consciousness and stimulate breathing (smell ammonia, chest massage, mustard plasters)
• give artificial respiration and cardiac massage if necessary

During first aid for carbon monoxide poisoning, you should call for specialized and medical help: 03 or 112.

Common poisonings requiring help

We often think that children are more at risk from exposure to toxic substances. But mostly at help in case of poisoning adults are more likely to need help. In most cases, adults die from intoxication! Poisonous substances are dangerous for all of us.

Almost any substance can be poisonous if used inappropriately, in the wrong amount, or by the wrong person. The most common not only in Russia, but throughout the world are alcohol poisoning.

First aid for poisoning: good to know to prevent.

• If you suspect that you have been poisoned, you can consult a toxicologist – a doctor who specializes in treatment and care for poisoning .
• Serious poisonings do not always have early manifestations.
• Store medicines and household products in their original containers, away from food.
• Always read and follow instructions for use.
• Store household chemicals and medicines in a lockable cabinet. Keep them out of reach of children.
• Buy food in child-resistant packages. But remember, nothing is out of reach for children!
• Never call a medicine “Candy”! Poisonous substances may look like food or drink.
• Teach children to ask adults before tasting something.
• Talk to your child about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs.

What to do in case of carbon monoxide poisoning. First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning

• Blog
• Carbon monoxide poisoning

Contents

• Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning
• What causes carbon monoxide poisoning?
• First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning
• Prevention of the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning

Regular carbon monoxide is a damaging poisonous gas. It can cause unconsciousness and kill if you are exposed to high levels of it in the air or if you are near a source of smoke for a long time.

After carbon monoxide is inhaled, it enters your bloodstream, mixes with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin and carbon monoxide poisoning occurs. When this happens, the blood can no longer carry oxygen – this leads to the death of the body’s cells and tissues.

Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

In the case of carbon monoxide poisoning, the key signs may not always be immediately apparent, especially when the severity of damage is low. If the affected person is conscious, it is advisable to ask him what happened before the deterioration of health.

Main signs of poisoning:

• pulsating beat in the temples;
• violent attacks of dizziness and swaying;
• drawing pain in the joints and muscles;
• feeling suddenly tired and depressed;
• stitching in lower chest;
• sudden shortness of breath and heavy breathing.

If the gas is exhaled for a long time, the negative effects on the body will be irreversible. Coordination of movements is disturbed, loss of vision, hearing and deprivation of consciousness occurs. Poisoning can happen in 60 minutes if there is a lot of heavy carbon monoxide around.

First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning should be done by the victim himself, if the level of poisoning is low and the person has not been in a smoky room for long.

In order to minimize the risk of poisoning, enterprises and offices must have evacuation means, for example, the Chance-E filtering self-rescuer or the Phoenix-2 filtering self-rescuer.

What causes carbon monoxide poisoning?

Common sources are cars, fireplaces, wood stoves, kerosene heaters, charcoal grills, and gas appliances such as water heaters, ovens, and dryers. They usually don’t cause problems. Problem comes when:

• cars, trucks or other engines are left to run in enclosed spaces such as garages. Carbon monoxide can accumulate in the garage and seep back into the house.
• fuel appliances are used in violation of the regime. A dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide gradually accumulates inside a house or apartment.
• solid fuel heating systems (stoves or fireplaces) are used in cold weather when doors and windows are closed. The movement of air in direct-flow chimneys or hoods in buildings is blocked due to lack of draft.

First aid for carbon monoxide poisoning

Compliance with simple first aid rules for severe poisoning will help neutralize part of the gas oxide in the body and reduce the threat to the life of the injured person while waiting for rescuers.

• remove the person from the intended area and take him to an open area.
• call an ambulance or rescuers on 112;
• notify the neighbors of the apartment or house;
• stay with the person, encourage him to breathe deeply and measuredly;
• keep an eye on him and be ready to do mouth-to-mouth breathing;
• Give carbon monoxide antidote (Neuroglobin or equivalent).

Prevention of the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning

Standard hospital oxygen therapy will be required if a person has been exposed to high levels and concentrations of carbon monoxide. It is carried out in a hospital or a specialized car under the supervision of doctors and is designed to remove poisoned air from the lungs as soon as possible.