The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that a family of six were diagnosed with carbon monoxide (CO1) poisoning yesterday after using the gas stove in their kitchen in a residential unit on Rua do Padre António Roliz.
According to the statement, six local Macau residents – two men and four women aged between 19 and 74, were at home in a flat in Va Ip Building at around 6 p.m., while dinner was being prepared. At 9 p.m. one of the family members left the flat and immediately felt dizzy and fell to the ground. An ambulance was called and the patient taken straight to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre
The statement pointed out that the patient was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning and was transferred to the private Kiang Wu Hospital for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), while the other five, who also felt dizzy, were taken to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre and the Kiang Wu Hospital, where they were all also diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning.
The statement underlined that the gas stove installed in the flat’s kitchen has been in use for years, and most of the windows in the flat were closed when the dinner was being prepared, while the kitchen windows were ajar and the exhaust fan was not turned on, resulting in the gas accumulating and causing the incident.
The bureau stressed that when using gas appliances, one must ensure that the area is well ventilated as otherwise carbon monoxide could collect.
The statement noted that there are ways to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, such as ensuring that the room is well ventilated, choosing quality gas appliances and using them properly, and installing carbon monoxide alarms in rooms that have gas appliances.
The statement urged those affected by carbon monoxide poisoning to stay calm, leave the room immediately and go to an open area, loosen one’s clothing and seek medical help promptly.
Image courtesy of Very Well Health/Theresa Chiechi
