1 dead, 1 in hospital after carbon monoxide poisoning in northeast Calgary

One person died and another was taken to hospital after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a home in northeast Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency crews were called at 4:15 p.m. to a home on Martha’s Close in the Martindale neighbourhood.

Alberta Health Service said two adults were found suffering from serious carbon monoxide poisoning.

Calgary firefighters found high levels of the colourless, odorless, and tasteless gas in the home, which EMS said was also detected in the patients’ bloodstreams.

One of the adults was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. The other adult was declared dead inside the home.

The cause of the poisoning has not yet been determined.

What is carbon monoxide?

Often referred to as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is a colourless, odorless gas that is produced whenever combustion occurs — gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal — meaning any fuel-burning appliance in your home can make it.

Common sources of carbon monoxide inside homes are fireplaces, wood stoves and gas appliances such as ovens, dryers and water heaters.

CO is also in vehicle exhaust, which is why it’s so dangerous to leave a vehicle or any other machine with an internal combustion engine running inside a garage or enclosed space when the door is closed.  AHS says even sitting in an idling vehicle in an open garage can be dangerous.

Since the gas is odorless and invisible, there’s no way to know with your own senses if there’s a buildup in your home, which is why having a detector/alarm is important for all homeowners and renters.

AHS recommends putting carbon monoxide detectors in your home; in the hallway near every separate sleeping area and on each level of the home.

Recognizing CO poisoning symptoms

CO enters the body through the lungs, replaces oxygen in the blood and prevents the flow of oxygen to the heart, brain and other vital organs.

The National Fire Protection Association says a person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.

According to Alberta Health Services, breathing in low levels of carbon monoxide over a long period of time can cause severe heart problems and brain damage.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may be hard to recognize because they are similar to the flu —  one thing to look out for with CO poisoning is if you start to feel better once you leave home.

Headaches, shortness of breath, impaired motor functions and muscle weakness will be the first signs.

As carbon monoxide builds up in your blood and higher levels persist, symptoms get worse and can include confusion, drowsiness, chest pain, fast breathing, vision problems and seizures.

Very high levels produce convulsions, or a coma – and even death. That’s why it’s important to recognize the symptoms early on.

What to do if you think you have CO poisoning

If your CO alarm goes off, or you think you see CO poisoning symptoms, you should leave the premises as soon as possible and seek fresh air.

Experts say don’t try to figure out where the gas is coming from — just get outside and call 911.

How is it treated?

Oxygen therapy is the best treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Breathing in pure oxygen can bring the oxygen level in your blood back to normal.

There are two types of oxygen therapy; one includes breathing in oxygen through a mask, the other option is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves lying inside a chamber that delivers oxygen under high pressure.

With quick treatment, most people recover from carbon monoxide poisoning within a few days.

For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning, visit Alberta Health Service’s website.

— With files from Caley Gibson and Rebecca Joseph, Global News

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