Notable cases included a father and son from the capital city of Hanoi with severe carbon monoxide poisoning, and an elderly woman from Ninh Binh Province who was transferred to the Poison Control Center in a comatose condition.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Bach Mai Hospital’s Poison Control Center, when fuels such as firewood, charcoal, honeycomb coal, gasoline, or oil are burned indoors, incomplete combustion can generate carbon monoxide (CO), a highly toxic gas that cannot be seen or smelled, making it difficult to detect.
Victims can lose consciousness quickly, especially while sleeping.
Carbon monoxide poisoning causes early and severe damage to organs with high oxygen demand, such as the brain, heart and muscles, leading to rapid physical collapse and potentially death or long-term complications.
