From Stephanie Trotter, CO-Gas Safety
You reported the first recorded death from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (24 June, p 7). The symptoms of CFS can be very similar to the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is the most common poison in the UK: it can be emitted from faulty cooking and heating appliances powered by any combustible fuel. Even tiny amounts can kill, and low-level exposure over a long period can produce brain damage.
CO could well be ignored as a possible cause of symptoms attributed to CFS. There have been cases in which previously healthy children have died of CO in rented accommodation, but medics and at least one pathologist overlooked the gas as a possible cause of death until the rest of the family became ill.
We have been trying to find out whether patients presenting with symptoms of CFS have had CO ruled out as a possible cause. We are sure there are cases of CFS that have nothing to do with it; however, we ask experts in CFS to do their utmost to warn patients of the dangers of CO and to rule this out as a cause of their patients’ symptoms.
We invite readers to visit our website, www.co-gassafety.co.uk, to ensure that they know how to keep safe from CO before the northern winter starts and heating systems are switched on.
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Claygate, Surrey, UK
