Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Fire: 17 Hospitalized for CO Poisoning and Smoke Inhalation

Seventeen people were hospitalized for treatment following a hotel fire that broke out early on September 7 in Ho Chi Minh City. Many of the admitted patients presented with skin affected by black smoke, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and respiratory tract damage. Thống Nhất Hospital received six victims, three of whom were diagnosed with severe CO poisoning. A 20-year-old man required high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy, with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation being considered due to the risk of respiratory failure. A 64-year-old man suffered severe CO poisoning along with second-degree burns on both hands and eye injuries. Four female patients, aged 19 to 78, were conscious by the afternoon, with some showing black smoke residue all over their skin. Patients generally reported mild shortness of breath, dry cough, chest tightness, and sore throat. At Nhân dân 115 Hospital, two young patients, a 25-year-old male and a 20-year-old female, were admitted for moderate smoke inhalation. Both are conscious and receiving oxygen therapy via mask. The female patient was transferred to the Respiratory Department, while the male patient was admitted to the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department for monitoring of potential CO poisoning complications. The youngest victim, a 2-year-old boy, received emergency care at Nhi đồng 1 Hospital. When the fire was detected on the ground floor, his father managed to carry him from the fourth floor to the rooftop to await rescue. Doctors diagnosed the child with smoke inhalation and black smoke residue on his skin. A chest X-ray revealed a small partial collapse of the left lung. The boy is receiving oxygen therapy via mask, IV fluids, and antibiotics, and his condition is currently stable. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a leading cause of death in fire incidents. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that, when inhaled, reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity, leading to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, and impaired consciousness, potentially resulting in rapid death if exposure is severe. The fire, which ignited around 5 a.m. on September 7, occurred in the six-story Thùy Dương Hotel on Tân Kỳ Tân Quý Street. Approximately 30 people were inside the hotel at the time. Firefighters and the Ho Chi Minh City Emergency Center 115 were dispatched to the scene. The blaze was brought under control within 10 minutes, but resulted in two fatalities: a 24-year-old male found in the second-floor corridor and a 20-year-old female discovered in a ground-floor room. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Source: VnExpress