FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Fire Department was called to a home on the city's east side Monday. They believe a generator, used on a bitterly cold day, likely poisoned the air with carbon monoxide.
Four people were taken to the hospital, including a child.
"People need to be aware of the dangers of this," said Dr. Phillip Scott, a pediatric hospitalist with Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth.
Scott said every patient he admitted overnight was for carbon monoxide poisoning; he said he hardly ever even sees one.
"Kids actually are at higher risk for carbon poisoning," said Dr. Bianka Soria-Olmos, also with Cook Children's. That's because kids breathe faster than adults, she said, inhaling more per body weight than an adult would.
"It starts out with kind of headaches, kind of sleepiness, altered mental status," Scott said. "And then it's a coma. Passing out, coma and then it's death after that." The doctor said things can quickly deteriorate with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Thankfully, none of the 13 babies and children they treated died. But the hospital and the fire department are deeply concerned.
"While we understand they're doing everything they can to keep warm, I think unknowingly they're starting to poison themselves," said Fort Worth firefighter Mike Drivdahl.
Drivdahl pleads with families to avoid heating their homes with things that create exhaust or smoke, unless they can properly be vented. In one case, Scott said a family used a charcoal grill indoors to warm up.
"If you do not have power and you don't have a safe heat source, go to one of those [warming] centers, let's get you somewhere you're going to be safe," Drivdahl said.
"Prevention is our number one goal," said Dr. Soria-Olmos.
And with the fire department in Fort Worth having responded to more than 80 carbon monoxide calls so far during the winter storm, the need for prevention and protection is clear.