Carbon Monoxide: Poisonings and Deaths New Mexico Wing Civil Air Patrol Safety Briefing January 2009 / 2010 January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety

Safety Briefing Requirements for ALL CAPR 62-1 (3d) CAP Safety Responsibilities and Procedures CAPR 62-1 (3d) CAP Safety Responsibilities and Procedures All CAP members must obtain a monthly 15 minute face-to-face briefing (or Make-up) before they may participate in any CAP activity (including unit meetings). All CAP members must obtain a monthly 15 minute face-to-face briefing (or Make-up) before they may participate in any CAP activity (including unit meetings). January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety

To: NM Wing Staff Upon completion of this briefing, send an stating: Subject: January Wing Safety Briefing “January Carbon monoxide Dangers” briefing reviewed and completed” to (otherwise, send notification to your Squadron Safety Officer) January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety

Carbon Monoxide Dangers CO (carbon monoxide) is a gas that is CO (carbon monoxide) is a gas that is –Colorless –Tasteless –Odorless Produced from incomplete combustion in a fuel burning device Produced from incomplete combustion in a fuel burning device CO can kill you and you won’t even know you died!! CO can kill you and you won’t even know you died!! What is CO (carbon monoxide) ? January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety C O

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide Dangers CO (carbon monoxide) can be found almost everywhere CO (carbon monoxide) can be found almost everywhere –At home –At work / office / school –Automobiles –Recreation: generators or stoves –Aircraft in flight Where can you find CO? January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety

Carbon Monoxide Dangers CO (carbon monoxide) can be found almost everywhere CO (carbon monoxide) can be found almost everywhere –At home –At work / office / school –Automobiles –Recreation: generators or stoves –Aircraft in flight Where can you find CO? January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety

January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 15,000+ visits / year to Hospital ER 500 unintentional deaths / year Most frequent in JANUARY (then December)

January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Carbon Monoxide Poisoning CO prevents oxygen from attaching to the hemoglobin molecule in your blood Oxygen cannot be delivered to the brain and other tissues SYMPTOMS Confusion, hallucinations, headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, seizures COMA and DEATH

Carbon Monoxide Dangers January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Typical Scenario You are relaxing home with the family on a cold January evening Everyone in the family is feeling sick with either a headache, or nausea, or dizziness, or tiredness -- could it be the flu? Unbeknownst to you, your 12 year old furnace is putting out 400 ppm of CO from a cracked firebox. And you are poisoned!

Carbon Monoxide Dangers January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Another scenario You and your copilot have been flying highbird for 2.5 hours The pilot is getting nauseated – hmmm..... that’s unusual The copilot has a splitting headache Unbeknownst to both, a cracked manifold is leaking CO into the cabin via the heater. And you are poisoned!

Carbon Monoxide Dangers January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Prevention of poisoning BE AWARE of CO poisoning! (free) Get a Home Carbon Monoxide detector (with good batteries!) $50 Get an Aircraft CO detector ($5)

Carbon Monoxide Dangers Get away for the source – Get away for the source – –leave the house, land the airplane, get some fresh air –Severe: Hospitalization and adminsitration of 100% oxygen Fix the source ! Fix the source ! January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety TREATMENT of poisoning

Carbon Monoxide Dangers If you suspect CO poisoning Call the local gas company and have them check your furnace, hot water heater, wood stove, etc. Replace the defective item. --Ground the airplane until the manifold leak is repaired. January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety FIX THE SOURCE

Carbon Monoxide Dangers January Safety Briefing Joseph R. Perea, MD, Maj CAP NM Wing Director of Safety Questions? Questions? Personal experiences? Personal experiences? Reference Reference –