Brain injury after charcoal heating

The Poison Control Center - Bach Mai Hospital ( Hanoi ) said that doctors are treating a 31-year-old male patient (residing in Long Luong commune, Van Ho district, Son La) with CO poisoning and brain damage. The patient was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital on December 31, 2023, in a coma, kidney failure, and muscle damage.

Brain damage image of a patient with CO poisoning

According to information from the patient's family, on the night of December 29, 2023, the weather was cold, the patient burned charcoal in a closed room to warm up and then went to sleep. At around 4:00 a.m., the family discovered that the patient was unconscious, so they rushed him to the local hospital and then transferred him to Bach Mai Hospital.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center - Bach Mai Hospital, when burning carbon-containing fuels such as firewood, charcoal, honeycomb coal, gasoline, etc. in an open space, the fuel burns completely and basically creates gas that has little impact on health; but if burned in a closed area, the partially burned fuel produces CO gas, which is very toxic. CO gas is colorless and odorless, so it is very difficult to detect, especially when sleeping, the person in that space will gradually pass out without knowing anything.

Dr. Nguyen informed: The above patient is now conscious and more alert, but this is a very serious case, with clear signs of bilateral brain damage, muscle damage, kidney failure, and a very high risk that the patient will have long-term mental and neurological complications (memory loss, mental disorders, tremors, muscle stiffness, paralysis, etc.). The Poison Control Center is applying active treatment measures to minimize complications.

According to scientific studies, even in the mildest cases of CO poisoning, nearly 50% will experience complications in mental health, nerves, and brain damage later. The mildest can be memory loss of varying degrees, the more severe can be coma or complete memory loss.

According to Dr. Nguyen, the current housing structure of people has a lot of problems with ventilation, most of them are self-built, self-designed and very closed; there is no ventilation system or at least there needs to be vents, a way to pump air in from the outside and suck air out from the inside. To fundamentally solve the problem, management agencies need to control the design and construction of people's housing to ensure adequate ventilation and safety for people.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen recommends: Absolutely do not burn fuels such as honeycomb coal, firewood, charcoal, gas... in closed spaces. If you have to use them, do not use them in closed rooms, open the door to allow adequate air circulation. It is best to choose another method of heating.

If you find someone who is suffocating, open the door to ventilate. If the patient is breathing poorly, unconscious, or has no heart or lungs, perform artificial respiration or cardiac compression (cardiac arrest), then take them to the nearest medical facility.

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