Divers Killed by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

[Snowbear]

I seem to recall that although CO binds irreversibly to haemoglobin, the effects can be somewhat offset by O2 administration for a pro-longer period.

Also...remember CO is odourless and colourless.

Not irreversible. CO binds with hemoglobin about 200 times more readily than O2 does. It kills by blocking the O2 receptors on the hemoglobin so O2 cannot be transported to the cells. It WILL let go, but very slowly. O2 helps (especially hyperbaric O2) because the higher concentration and PP of O2 in the lungs and blood will help to "push" the CO off the receptors so O2 can bind and be transported to where it's needed.

You are correct, CO is odorless and invisible. Smelling the gas in the tank is not a reliable way of ruling out whether or not it's contaminated... but if it does smell like hydrocarbons, play it safe and don't use it

 

[JTemple]

DVRCARRIB wrote:

There is some speculation that a batch of tanks were CO contaminated (allegedly) recently at a resort during a fill by a faulty compressor. The contamination problem was detected. The tanks were placed aside, emptied, and then refilled with clean air. The diveboat was loaded with the new tanks. A resort diver decided to join the diveboat at the last minute for a scheduled two tank dive. Two additional tanks were loaded on the boat from the dock. The divemaster grabbed one of the newly loaded tanks for himself and the other was used by the late arriving diver. Unfortunately, both of the newly loaded tanks were from the "bad air" batch---they had never been emptied. Divers entered the water 1st for a planned 80ft max depth type dive, followed by the divemaster. Within minutes the divemaster surfaced was helped aboard and experienced a cardiac arrest. Due to the irreversible binding nature of CO to Hemoglobin, he was unable to be resuscitated. The dive group was summoned back aboard and found to be minus one diver. A quick search was mounted and they found the late arriving diver dead in the water. All the resorts boats were called back and diving was suspended for the subsequent day intil the remaining tanks were checked and double checked. (All circumstances are under investigation.)

The references to the specific event remain, despite moderator editing. The attempt to focus the discussion on carbon monoxide poisoning is noble, but unrealistic. And unsuccessful.

I would like to know where DVRCARRIB got the information quoted above regarding the sequence of events because I was there, and this re-telling here is not accurate. I would therefore caution all not to take this as fact, but instead as more speculation as to what had taken place.

 

[DVRCARRIB]

I would like to know where DVRCARRIB got the information quoted above regarding the sequence of events because I was there, and this re-telling here is not accurate. .....

JTemple, if I go to a baseball game and my team wins 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth by completing a dramatic double play and I call a friend on the way home to tell of the outcome, if I don't get the players names and numbers exactly right...but tell him we won 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth on a double play......your right....that re-telling would not be accurate...but it would be the sequence of events that I remembered and retold from being at the ballgame.
Some too, I suppose, would call it "speculating" on my part for calling my friend on the way home to describe the double play as I saw it ...before the local newspaper prints the "official report" as a box score the following day...i'd just be "speculating"

Please feel free to correct the parts of my re-telling that you deem inaccurate.

Carbon Monoxide can and has killed divers. I for one will no longer blindly trust any fill without testing it myself before a dive....anymore than I'd take someone else's word for it that the PO2 of my Nitrox tank was 36% without analyzing it myself. Even in the best of capable hands, mistakes happen.

 

[H2Andy]

Even in the best of capable hands, mistakes happen.

that's true. we as divers basically just trust that the compressor and the air
we are using are fine (other than to test for 02 in nitrox)

maybe that's because CO poisoning in scuba tanks is so rare?

however, it probably wouldn't hurt to test every single tank of air we use.
it is, after all, our donkeys on the line

that said, i'll probably never get around to testing all the air i use.
too lazy, i guess... one more thing to deal with

 

[StSomewhere]

Threadjack in progress! Does anyone have a picture of the BC hose mounted version of the CO Cop? I can only find pictures of the yoke version on the web.

 

[DVRCARRIB]

Threadjack in progress! Does anyone have a picture of the BC hose mounted version of the CO Cop? I can only find pictures of the yoke version on the web.

http://www.water-world.com.tw/tech/images/co-cop.JPG

http://www.water-world.com.tw/tech/air-test.htm

 

[BigJetDriver]

Not irreversible. CO binds with hemoglobin about 200 times more readily than O2 does. It kills by blocking the O2 receptors on the hemoglobin so O2 cannot be transported to the cells. It WILL let go, but very slowly. O2 helps (especially hyperbaric O2) because the higher concentration and PP of O2 in the lungs and blood will help to "push" the CO off the receptors so O2 can bind and be transported to where it's needed.

You are correct, CO is odorless and invisible. Smelling the gas in the tank is not a reliable way of ruling out whether or not it's contaminated... but if it does smell like hydrocarbons, play it safe and don't use it

Extremely concise and well stated, Miss Bear. It deserves repeating.

 

[berick]

Wow, what a great thread. I had no idea I could get a CO tester that cheap!

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Once upon a time in a great science discussion thread with Pufferfish, I mentioned things like Draeger tubes (anyone here recognize that name - Draeger?) and equivalent Sensidyne tubes with their sampling kits for detecting low quantities of impurities in various gases - and they're typically readily available at fire & safety supply stores. I'm surprised more of the rescue service folks here haven't mentioned them. No electric power etc. required - just don't break the tubes until ready to test.

Pufferfish - I've recently moved away from the Great Lakes area back to the Gulf Coast, and I never did get a dive in at the quarries or Great Lakes. Some other later time in my life maybe. I'll try a Galapagos trip in the next few years and see where I go from there!

http://www.sensidyne.com/products.php?ID=67&StartsWith=C

 

[Firefyter]

Once upon a time in a great science discussion thread with Pufferfish, I mentioned things like Draeger tubes (anyone here recognize that name - Draeger?) and equivalent Sensidyne tubes with their sampling kits for detecting low quantities of impurities in various gases - and they're typically readily available at fire & safety supply stores. I'm surprised more of the rescue service folks here haven't mentioned them. No electric power etc. required - just don't break the tubes until ready to test.

I use these as part of our hazmat team. The big drawback to these is the cost, which is why we haven't mentioned them. You can't just break them and wait for a reading, you have to draw air through them. The simple handpump that draws the air through them starts at around $165. The battery operated is much higher. Then the tubes will cost you anywhere from $3 - $10, depending on what brand you buy and the quantity you buy. Also, the tubes have a shelf life. The length of this life depends again on brand and material it's designed to test. You could spend a bunch of money in a hurry, and have the tubes go bad on you sitting on the shelf.

A much better option is the CO tester mentioned earlier... the CO Cop. It's $50 initially, each filter is good for 20 tests (as long as it doesn't detect anything), and replacement filters are only $6.