Carbon monoxide deaths are climbing, putting families in peril: ‘My son is lucky to be alive’

Often dubbed “the silent killer,” carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless — it’s been shown to cause severe injury or death in hours or even minutes.

Between 2009 and 2019, deaths from non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning have been on the rise, according to a new report released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) last month.

There were 250 deaths related to consumer products in 2019, more than in any other year in the report.

Some 40% of those deaths were caused by engine-driven tools, including generators, power washers and lawn mowers. 

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Heating systems were behind another 28% of the deaths, the report said.

‘Something you’d never expect to happen’

Kristie Dusenberry, a mother and grandmother who lives with her family on a farm in American Falls, Idaho, knows all too well the devastating impacts of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Her 21-year-old son, Brenden Dusenberry, nearly died recently when fumes filled his small apartment.

About four months ago, her son had moved to Iowa, where he was living in an apartment above his uncle’s garage. 

“He was excited about living closer to friends and had started a new job,” Dusenberry told Fox News Digital in an interview.

When a few family members tried to call Dusenberry’s son over the weekend, no one was able to reach him. 

Around midnight on Sunday, Dusenberry got a call from her niece, who also lives at the house.

“She said Brenden was on the floor in the bathroom, couldn’t feel his left side and was throwing up,” she said. “No one had seen or heard from him for more than 24 hours.”

When first responders arrived, they suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Tests confirmed dangerously high levels in the room where Dusenberry’s son was found.

“They did say that all the carbon monoxide is gone — but all the damage it caused is not.”

Over the next few hours, Dusenberry slowly pieced together what had happened. 

Her son had gotten very sick over the course of the day, then woke up in the middle of the night with severe thirst. When he tried to get out of bed, his entire left side had gone completely numb.

“Brenden fell and hit his head on a dresser, then tumbled down the stairs to the bathroom, and that’s where they found him,” Dusenberry explained.

The source of the fumes was a new heater for the outdoor swimming pool, which had just been hooked up and was kept in the garage below the room where Dusenberry’s son was living. 

Something had malfunctioned with the heater — causing carbon monoxide to fill the air.

One of the doctors told Dusenberry that carbon monoxide is lighter than air.

“It actually floats and can go through sheet rock, or through any crack in the wall,” she said.

‘Lucky to be alive’

While Dusenberry realizes her son is lucky to be alive, she worries about his long and uncertain road to recovery.

“Brenden’s heart is not fully working right now,” she told Fox News Digital. “His lungs were inflamed when he got to the hospital, and he had to be put in a hyperbaric chamber to increase his oxygen levels.”

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is sometimes used ​​for people who have moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning as a means of reducing the long-term cognitive effects. That’s according to Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C.

“People who have confusion, heart rhythm abnormalities or other evidence of heart damage, and other serious signs or symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, are potential candidates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” she told Fox News Digital.

The doctors also realized that Dusenberry’s son’s kidneys weren’t functioning correctly, which meant he had to receive dialysis treatments.

“Brenden also has nerve damage on the left side of his body, and the doctors said it could take up to a year before he can use his left arm again,” Dusenberry said. 

“He still can’t walk, and he can’t keep any food or fluids down.”

She added, “They did say that all the carbon monoxide is gone — but all the damage it caused is not.”

How carbon monoxide affects the body

Dr. Dung Trinh, a brain health expert and owner of The Healthy Brain Clinic in Long Beach, California, said the most dangerous outcomes of carbon monoxide poisoning can include death, permanent organ damage and long-term neurological effects. 

“Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that can bind to hemoglobin in the blood, reducing its ability to carry oxygen, leading to tissue hypoxia and damage to vital organs,” he told Fox News Digital via email.

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In cases where carbon monoxide poisoning is fatal, Trinh said the specific cause of death is often related to severe tissue hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in the tissues) and damage to the brain, heart or lungs, which can lead to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest or other life-threatening complications.

Each year, carbon monoxide poisoning claims at least 420 lives. 

The effects of carbon monoxide poisoning can vary, depending on the severity of the exposure and individual factors, the doctor explained.

“In some cases, with prompt and appropriate medical treatment, the effects may be reversible, while in other cases, they may be permanent,” he said.

Certain people may be at a higher risk of dying or not recovering fully from carbon monoxide poisoning, such as infants, elderly individuals, pregnant women and those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions, the doctor said.

Long-term cognitive effects

Those who survive carbon monoxide poisoning may experience adverse long-term effects. 

“These can include neurological symptoms like memory problems, difficulty concentrating and mood changes, as well as respiratory and cardiac issues, depending on the severity and duration of exposure,” Trinh said.

Dawn Quintana, a 56-year-old former IT worker in Lake Point, Utah, experienced carbon monoxide poisoning at her workplace in 2013, when machinery was being used inside with all the doors and windows closed.

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After repeated daily exposure — 10 hours a day, five days a week, for 90 days — Quintana was regularly experiencing severe flu-like symptoms and lost her sense of taste. 

When she was finally tested at the hospital, her levels of exposure were dangerously high.

To this day, even after seven years of therapy, Quintana still experiences the lingering cognitive effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is a medical emergency and requires prompt medical intervention.”

“Sometimes I know what I want to say, but it doesn’t come out,” she told Fox News Digital in an email. 

She also struggles with reading: “I can look at something and read it silently just fine, but if I try to read out loud, the letters start to fall away from the page and the left side of the page goes blank.”

Quintana has not been able to return to work. She can no longer look at computer screens without getting dizzy and nauseated. Her relationships with friends and family have suffered.

“The struggle that I go through daily — the loss of dignity — I would not wish it upon my worst enemy,” she said.

Safeguarding against carbon monoxide poisoning

Each year, carbon monoxide poisoning claims the lives of at least 420 people and sends more than 100,000 people to emergency rooms in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Carbon monoxide detectors can be purchased for approximately $20.”

The good news is that it’s 100% preventable.

“Some strategies for safety and precaution against carbon monoxide poisoning include regular maintenance and inspection of fuel-burning appliances, proper ventilation in enclosed spaces, using carbon monoxide detectors and avoiding the use of fuel-burning appliances indoors or in enclosed spaces without proper ventilation,” Trinh said.

Carbon monoxide detectors can save lives

You may not be able to see, smell or taste carbon monoxide — but a working carbon monoxide detector can enable you to “hear” it, said Johnson-Arbor.

“Carbon monoxide detectors can be purchased for [about] $20 at big-box retailers, home improvement stores or even on Amazon,” she told Fox News Digital.

Residential carbon monoxide detectors can be plugged into an electrical outlet or can be hard-wired into a home’s electric system, Johnson-Arbor said.  

Experts recommend having a carbon monoxide detector installed within 10 feet of every sleeping area.

“Because carbon monoxide poisoning can cause excessive sleepiness, it’s important to have a detector installed within 10 feet of every sleeping area of your home,” she said. 

Additionally, she recommends bringing a portable carbon monoxide detector when traveling, because some hotels or vacation rentals may not have them installed.

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For plug-in detectors, the batteries should be replaced every six months or after any prolonged power outage.

“Never ignore an alarming carbon monoxide detector,” Johnson-Arbor added. “These devices can save your life.”

Year-round threat — not just in winter

While many people associate carbon monoxide poisoning as a risk during the winter months due to malfunctioning furnaces and lack of ventilation, precautions should be taken year-round, warned Johnson-Arbor.

“During the summer months, people can be poisoned by carbon monoxide from faulty swimming pool heaters, indoor use of barbecue grills, gas-powered clothes dryers and other equipment,” she told Fox News Digital.

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If you suspect a case of carbon monoxide poisoning, it is crucial to immediately evacuate the affected area and seek medical attention without delay, Trinh said. 

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is a medical emergency and requires prompt medical intervention,” he added.