Use of Carbon Monoxide Alarms to Prevent Poisonings During a Power Outage — North Carolina, December 2002

Each year in the United States, approximately 500 persons die from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, often during electric power outages caused by severe storms. Use of residential CO alarms has been recommended to reduce the incidence of CO poisoning. In September 2000, Mecklenburg Coun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2004-03, Vol.53 (9), p.189-192
Main Authors: Lavonas, E.J, Kerns, II, W.P, Tomaszewski, C.A, Blackwell, T.H, Galaska, P.N, Hay, T.L, McCormick, G.E, Brown, A.S, Mott, J.A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Alarms
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - epidemiology
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - prevention & control
Censuses
Chemical hazards
Child
Child, Preschool
County ordinances
Electric alarms
Electric power
Electricity
Epidemiology
Female
Fire alarms
Fire service
Health hazards
Homes
Humans
Infant
Male
Middle Aged
North Carolina - epidemiology
Poisoning
Power failure
Power Plants
Prevention
Protective Devices - utilization
Public safety
Statistical median
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Description
Summary:Each year in the United States, approximately 500 persons die from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, often during electric power outages caused by severe storms. Use of residential CO alarms has been recommended to reduce the incidence of CO poisoning. In September 2000, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (2002 population: 722,367), adopted a public health ordinance requiring a CO alarm in the majority of residences; all-electric residences without attached garages (35.4% of all homes) were exempt. The ordinance also permitted use of alarms without battery back-up. On December 4, 2002, an ice storm caused 78.9% of county households to lose power. During the next 9 days, 124 cases of symptomatic CO poisoning were reported. To characterize these poisonings and the effectiveness of the CO alarm ordinance, local emergency physicians, fire department authorities, and CDC conducted an investigation. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which determined that 96.2% of the severe poisonings occurred in homes with no reported functioning CO alarm. As a result of these findings, on October 8, 2003, Mecklenburg County officials amended the ordinance to require alarms with battery back-ups in all residences. Officials in other communities should consider enacting such alarm ordinances to prevent CO poisonings.
ISSN:0149-2195
1545-861X