A 27-year-old woman has been diagnosed with carbon monoxide (CO1) poisoning, the Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement on Saturday, adding that the patient was in stable condition.
According to the statement, the victim developed symptoms of dizziness and nausea at 6 p.m. on Friday, while she was working in a fruit and dessert shop on Rua Nova à Guia.
The local patient was rushed to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre at 8 p.m. that day, after which she was referred to the private Kiang Wu Hospital for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
The patient told the bureau that one of the four other employees working in the kitchen developed headaches, the statement noted.
The statement said that the cause of the incident could be due to poor ventilation which allowed toxicity to accumulate, adding that as the exhaust system of the kitchen in the store was connected to the cashier area, carbon dioxide could not be discharged out of the shop when the air conditioner was turned on and the glass door was closed.
Those who suffer carbon monoxide poisoning may develop symptoms of dizziness, vomiting and nausea, or fatal and even death in severe conditions, the statement underlined.
The bureau stressed that when using gas appliances, one must ensure that the area is always well ventilated, while also urging those who believe that they are affected by carbon monoxide poisoning to stay calm, leave the place immediately, go to an open area, loosen their clothing and seek medical care promptly.
Image courtesy of Very Well Health Theresa Chiechi
