Warning of increased brain strokes and poisoning due to burning coal for heating in cold weather

3 people hospitalized for burning coal for heating

On the morning of December 3, Vinh City General Hospital admitted 3 patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. These are 3 people in the same family in Hung Nguyen district, including grandmother, mother and 2-day-old newborn. All 3 were hospitalized with headaches, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, drowsiness, fainting...

Doctor Ngo Nam Hai - Head of the Department of Emergency Resuscitation and Anti-Poison - Vinh City General Hospital said: The cause of poisoning is due to using and burning charcoal to fight against the disease.coldin a closed room. In the closed room, the charcoal stove smoldered, continuously producing CO gas, causing poisoning of all 3 members. Every year, the hospital receives about 6-7 similar poisoning cases with nearly 20 people infected...

Every year, Vinh City General Hospital receives nearly 20 emergency cases of CO poisoning. Photo: Thanh Chung

All three patients in Hung Nguyen district were severely poisoned by CO gas. After 1 day of treatment, the mother regained consciousness. The hospital transferred all three patients to the Provincial General Hospital for treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) to reduce the incidence and severity of chronic neurological complications after CO poisoning.

Doctor Ngo Nam Hai recommends: “In the cold days, people need to be especially careful with heating devices using honeycomb coal and firewood. Coal burning in conditions of lack of air will create an extremely toxic gas called carbon monoxide, which is very dangerous. Victims who inhale this gas will die, and in less severe cases, will be left with neurological and mental sequelae.

CO gas is a colorless, odorless and non-irritating gas, so when poisoned, the victim is often unaware. By the time the victim realizes that he or she has been poisoned, he or she is no longer able to call for emergency help. In case the victim is found to have been poisoned by CO gas due to heating with coal or firewood, it is necessary to quickly open the door, ventilate, and get the patient out of the contaminated area as quickly as possible. At the same time, quickly transfer to the hospital for timely emergency care.

Cold weather, dozens of people have strokes every day

At the Department of Emergency Resuscitation and Anti-Poisoning - Vinh City General Hospital, in this cold weather, the Department receives 4-5 stroke cases every day... Meanwhile, at the Provincial General Hospital, the number of stroke patients admitted to the hospital is 10 times higher. Most of the stroke patients are elderly.

Every day, Nghe An General Hospital receives dozens of stroke cases of all kinds. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Weathercold, the cold weather increases the risk of stroke for the elderly, in addition, some chronic diseases will increase more than normal. The high-risk group is the elderly with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa - Director of the Stroke Center shared: Cold weather leads to high blood pressure due to increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system. In addition, cold affects hemodynamics by reducing skin perfusion, increasing urine excretion, increasing dehydration, increasing blood concentration... Cold also affects the arteries and heart such as increasing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, increasing atherosclerotic plaque instability, atherosclerotic plaque rupture... All of this leads to high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, stroke (cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage).

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa recommends: During the cold season, people need to control their lifestyle well to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. Photo: Thanh Cuong

According to Dr. Hoa: During the cold season, people need to control their lifestyle well to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. Specifically, avoid using stimulants such as alcohol and tobacco. Besides, keep your body warm. For those who have the habit of getting up early and exercising (especially the elderly), you need to avoid sudden cold. There are many patients who have strokes, heart attacks while exercising in the morning, evening, bathing... due to sudden cold.

Complications of acute pneumonia

The cold air has had a negative impact on the respiratory tract. At Nghe An Lung Hospital and Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the number of patients seeking examination and treatment has increased. For the elderly, common diseases are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchial asthma, chronic pneumonia, asthma and complications. Due to poor health and reduced resistance, the elderly often have more severe respiratory diseases and longer treatment days.

In the cold season, children are susceptible to bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinopharyngitis, and severe flu. Photo: Duc Anh

For young children, the main diseases are bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinopharyngitis, severe flu... Some children come to the hospital in a life-threatening condition due to complications of acute pneumonia. During this cold spell, not only young children and infants get sick, but the number of children over 10 years old with respiratory complications at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital has also increased.

Doctor Bui Anh Son, Head of the Respiratory Department, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, warned: Due to the cold weather, the number of children hospitalized for treatment is increasing day by day. In the face of this weather, people need to proactively take measures to protect children's health such as wearing enough warm clothes, not letting children go outside, and especially keeping children warm at home.

Children with respiratory diseases are on the rise. Photo: Duc Anh