« Police seek driver who hit bicyclist in Cranston | Today | Sting using craigslist nets suspected prostitutes »

January 22, 2008

New rules urged to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning

PROVIDENCE -- Reacting to three deaths in the city this month from carbon monoxide poisoning, the state Department of Health wants to require hospital emergency rooms to have equipment available to test for CO poisoning whenever they test a patient’s oxygen level.

Under the proposed new regulations, hospitals would be required to notify the Department of Health of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, which would allow for follow-up to determine the cause of the poisoning, possibly preventing more damage or even deaths, Dr. David R. Gifford, state director of health, said today. A pilot program at Rhode Island Hospital last year found 11 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning over a nine-month period, he said.

Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless; CO poisoning can be fatal. Sonia Flores, 46, a factory worker and longtime city resident who emigrated from El Salvador; her son, Ryan, 14, a ninth-grade student at the Met School; and her boyfriend, Marco Herrera, 52, died of CO poisoning in Flores’ house at 345 Blackstone St. earlier this month.

State and city authorities say a boiler in the home had been incorrectly vented, allowing carbon monoxide to build up into the house.

Oxygen level tests are common in emergency rooms, said Gifford. The equipment to test for carbon monoxide poisoning costs about $3,000, he said. “To save one life, that seems a reasonable use of funds,” said Gifford.

Gifford announced the proposed regulation change at a news conference today, with state building and fire officials; Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. Gifford expected the changes could be in effect within a few months.

Under state law, homes built since 2002 need to have carbon monoxide detectors, said Richard James, chief deputy state fire marshal. Older homes must have carbon monoxide detectors when they are sold, he said.

State Building Commissioner Jack Leyden said his office will begin requiring carbon monoxide detectors as part of the permitting for new heating and mechanical systems.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:59 PM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)