'Gas geysers in ill-ventilated rooms lead to health problems'

Use of LPG operated gas geysers in ill-ventilated rooms could result in seizures, epilepsy, cardiac arrest and development of early Parkinsons disease, a new study claimed today.
The two-year study was conducted after detailed documentation of signs and symptoms of 26 cases, which were reported with the complaint of unexplained fainting while bathing using hot water from gas geysers, which were installed in violation of prescribed guidelines.
Conducted by the department of Neurology of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, the study claimed that out of the total 26 such cases, seizure-like episodes were seen in 11 patients while 13 were found intoxicated with harmful gas Carbon Monoxide (CO).

It also found that "near cardiac arrest" like condition was reported in four patients who were intoxicated with CO.
Dubbing the flueless gas geysers as "modern day gas chambers", the study also found that CO intoxication was found as a "precipitating factor" for epilepsy in two patients while two others had developed early Parkinsonian features on follow up.
It, however, found the problem was only with the flueless gas geysers -- the type of water heaters that consume air available in bathrooms and release the residual products, including poisonous gasses like carbon monoxide, inside the bathroom.

The study has been published in the latest issue of Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology and jointly authored by Dr Pamela Correia, Dr Chandrashekhar Aggarwal and Dr Rajeev Ranjan, all from the department of Neurology of the hospital. The study was conducted from 2008 to 2010.

"Gas geyser is a very useful gadget. However, the cases we have studied revealed that problem arises only when the geyser is installed not in accordance with the prescribed guidelines. Ideal place to install such geysers is open compound so that the poisonous gas does not accumulate in a room," said Dr Aggarwal.
The study claimed that none of the patients had a previous history of seizure, stroke, head injury, any cardiovascular risk factor for syncope or any panic attack.
"Hence the evidence, though no infallible, gives a strong suggestion that the root cause of these events could lie in the use of gas geysers," the study observed.

Inadequate combustion of LPG due to inadequate ventilation leads to accumulation of mainly carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. Clinical feature of CO poisoning includes headache, dizziness and confusion. However, it can lead to seizures and coma in case of prolonged exposure, it observed.