Man dies in freak accident while connected to cpap

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:20 am

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_ ... als_util_2

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:38 am

Now that's crazy! What a tragic accident. I guess we should carry portable carbon monoxide detectors when we travel.

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

deerslayer · Post by **deerslayer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:16 am

pitiful....must have been a slow day for news. Mmmmmmm maybe i could load up the humidifier with merlot

Lineman · Post by **Lineman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:31 am

Oh my. Oddly enough I was worried about this exact kind of thing happening to me over Christmas. I was visiting relatives and staying in a motel room. The room had a very strange odor. I could not identify the smell but it was mildly unpleasant. I had the same thoughts that my CPAP was going to concentrate whatever was in the air in that room and fill my lungs with it.

CO has no odor (that I know of) so that wasn't it but there are plenty of other airborne bad things that could harm you. Well, anyway I opened the window and left it open all night long. A bit chilly, but in the morning the odd smell was gone and I was none the worse for it.

BTW, I am 63 and that motel was a Best Western.

_________________

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wabmorgan · Post by **wabmorgan** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:46 am

Officials said workers from Martin Plastering Contractors were repairing stucco on the side of the building, and had rigged the plastic tent along a wall. The tent trapped exhaust from propane-fired hot water heaters, and the building slowly filled with carbon monoxide.

That is just pure ignorance on their behalf. The "tent" should have NEVER been set up in a way that it trapped exhaust gas and vented it in to the building.

I hope they know.... or better yet.... I hope the widow knows she has a good cause of action arising from their negligence.

darthlucy · Post by **darthlucy** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:37 pm

Great, one more thing to be paranoid about! Now those who are resistant to treatment will use concentration of harmful air elements as an excuse not use the machine.

I found the writing style of that article to be rather odd. They wrote more about the wife (who's fine) than they did about the deceased, and they wrote about her in the past tense. I had to re-read it to make sure I was right that it was him who died, not her.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:08 pm

XPAP does not concentrate anything but room air. The ratio of chemicals (room air), stays the same.

If you will note, the room heating and cooling systems under the windows, were trapped inside the tent full of poison gasses, drawing them into the room. This is just a case of death by Moron Contractor and the motel that hired substandard repairs.

The widow should be very rich. Jim

This is one case the lawyer should be on speedial.

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:18 pm

darthlucy wrote:Great, one more thing to be paranoid about! Now those who are resistant to treatment will use concentration of harmful air elements as an excuse not use the machine.

I found the writing style of that article to be rather odd. They wrote more about the wife (who's fine) than they did about the deceased, and they wrote about her in the past tense. I had to re-read it to make sure I was right that it was him who died, not her.

People who are resistant can find a reason. They don't wear seatbelts because they might get trapped in a burning car. On the other hand my sil (the paramedic) says that he has never cut a dead person out of a seat belt.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:23 pm

oceanpearl wrote:
darthlucy wrote:Great, one more thing to be paranoid about! Now those who are resistant to treatment will use concentration of harmful air elements as an excuse not use the machine.

I found the writing style of that article to be rather odd. They wrote more about the wife (who's fine) than they did about the deceased, and they wrote about her in the past tense. I had to re-read it to make sure I was right that it was him who died, not her.
People who are resistant can find a reason. They don't wear seatbelts because they might get trapped in a burning car. On the other hand my sil (the paramedic) says that he has never cut a dead person out of a seat belt.

He either doesn't make many runs, or he's using the jaw's of life wrong. Your not supposed to cut the body in two. It's easier to unhook the belt. Jim

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:50 pm

This is a highly misleading article that demonstrates a great lack of basic science.

I do not think the total amt of air in a person using xPAP will be greater than with an identical person not using one. The pressure is greater, the volue will be the same over the duration of treatent.

I do not think it will concentrate gasses in a persons blood.

There should be another reason the wife lived and the man died.
CO2 is heaveir than air and if his unit was on the floor, then he would be getting a much higher cnocentration of CO2 than she would be at pillow level.

I thnk the quoted doc was wrong in saying a person would get a higher concentration of the CO2.
The autopsy should be interesting and more enlightening.

I thnk this was a very misleading article.
I think the motel is in deep doo doo.

Pilot_Ron · Post by **Pilot_Ron** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:46 pm

molecular weights of pure gasses

CO = (12+16) = 28, about neutral
O2 = (16+16) = 32, slightly heavy
N2 = (14+14 ) = 28, about neutral

For mixed gasses just take a proportionate average:

Air is 80% N2 + 20% O2 .
air = 0.8(28 ) + 0.2(32) = 29 (exactly neutral, by definition)

carbon monoxide and air have approximately the same
density. Both are gases and as a result, diffusion alone and the entropy
effect will take care of mixing them. Any convection currents and/or
forced-air turbulence present will also enable the gases to mix.

CO2 is carbon dioxide, he died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:58 pm

If convection mixes the gasses as it would with a room fan or AC, then there would be a homogenous mixture.
It the CO, CO2 is slowly released it will be at a lower level due to the greated density.
I am not sure the MW of the individual gasses directly relate to this bouyancy.

We must also keep in mind that lots of people die in their sleep, but I doubt this is coincedentally the case.
I think the real reason for his death is something not yet considered.
I am not conviced that the conclusions or hypothesis of the doc and the writer is complete or explains why the wife did die also.

More info needed.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:23 pm

The wife was relieced from the hospital today the 21, not quite dead. Jim

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:11 pm

Extremely sad.... and very odd too. It seems that contractors were using the exhaust to heat inside the tent.... causing the CO to pressure into the building. Being contractors, they obviously knew how the exhaust being captured in the tent could save them money, aid their work.... and provide comfort for their workers. With the tent being so drafty the CO there was unlikely to negatively affect their workers to any great degree.

It's only been a year or two ago that another similar case of CO poisoning occurred in a motel.... if memory serves me. I’m amazed that motels are not required in very state to have smoke, fire and CO detectors installed. As well as be designed for better emergency egress – it’s obvious that motels are not designed with safety as a prime factor.

I just hope the wife was not injured by the CO beyond a full recovery.

Nodzy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:26 pm

Both were poisoned. Only he died. He had a sleep disorder. It wasn't the CPAP machine that was the problem - it was his disease and his already fragile health.

He probably had other stuff, just like we all do. Weak heart, asthma, emphysema, etc. etc.

Cheers,
Babs

Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: straight cpap 12.20 AHI avg.0.79

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Man dies in freak accident while connected to cpap

Man dies in freak accident while connected to cpap

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