According to the data of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, the number of people hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning has been on the increase for a long time. In 2007, 188 such cases were recorded, but 328 were registered for last year. Most people were hospitalized in 2014 for the gas intoxication due to intoxication due to this gas. A similar trend is confirmed by the statistics of firefighters. While in 2012 the fire brigade in the Czech Republic was only going to 181 cases, last year it was already 100 more. The most affected regions are Moravia-Silesia, South Moravia and Prague. Since 2012, firefighters have been fleeing 1118 cases nationwide, with the deaths of 62 , which is about 5 and a half percent. However, this is only a fraction of all cases. "It is often the case that only the rescue service or the police depart for the crime scene," said Nicole Zaoralová from the General Directorate of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic.
According to the chairman of the Center of Hyperbaric Medicine of the City Hospital in Ostrava, Michal Hájek, the total number of annual cases of carbon monoxide intoxication is between 1000-1500. "Statistics from the Czech Statistical Office indicate that deaths are over 110-140 cases per year in recent years. However, global statistics are a bit more positive. Hospital mortality in large patient populations in the Czech Republic and abroad is roughly 2.5-3%, " Hájek said.
In the long term, poisoning occurs most often during cold months. Some households use defective or obsolete gas appliances to heat or heat water, where carbon monoxide can escape into the interior during combustion. However, the cause of poisoning may also be the unsuitable condition of the chimney. "A large amount of carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for the clogged chimney. He should therefore go through regular revisions, just like gas appliances themselves. However, according to our statistics, only a third is inspected and regularly serviced, " said Roman Švantner (Enbra).
Carbon monoxide is a gas without color and odor, so poisoning can occur very easily. In the case of gas-fired flue-gas appliances, this flue gas fuse eliminates this risk. Its task is to monitor whether the flue gas from the burner is safely leaving the chimney. If this is not the case and the flue gases remain in the interior, the burner of the appliance switches off. It is therefore worthwhile to follow the labeling of individual gas appliances. "The devices equipped with this fuse are designated B11BS. Only these types of appliances can be used in residential areas. On the contrary, those who do not have a policy are B11. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas that are structurally separate from the living quarters, " added Švantner.
Inhalation of carbon monoxide is the most common accidental poisoning in Europe, for example, in the UK, about 25,000 such cases are reported annually. The basis of treatment is the supply of sufficient oxygen to a person, for example hyperbaric oxygen therapy, when oxygen is applied at a higher pressure than atmospheric. "In the past two years, we have seen a drop in treatment of these cases by about 40-50% in our center. The causes can be seen in the changing of older types of atmospheric boilers with modern condensation, which are not connected with the residential environment, as well as numerous information campaigns and education in the sense of prevention ", concluded the chairman of the Center of Hyperbaric Medicine Michal Hájek.
Source: tz, edited editorially
