12-year-old in hospital

CO poisoning: Girl collapsed while showering

The fire department advises regular maintenance and inspection of gas boilers as well as regular ventilation of apartments, especially on particularly hot days.(Bild: APA/dpa/Philipp von Ditfurth)

A twelve-year-old girl suffered CO poisoning while showering in Vienna-Simmering on Saturday and collapsed. Her parents alerted the emergency services shortly before 3 pm. 

When the professional rescue team arrived at the apartment in Simmeringer Hauptstraße, their CO warning devices were triggered.

"The girl was already on the verge of losing consciousness," said a spokesperson. The family was then taken outside and the patient was taken to hospital.

Tilt windows during hot showers

Problems with an increased concentration of carbon monoxide can occur if the boiler or chimney are not or only poorly maintained, if it is particularly hot or if fans draw the air out of the home into the open air - for example with an extractor hood or air conditioning system that blows the exhaust air outside. High heat can cause a kind of air stagnation in the flues. The exhaust gases are not hot enough compared to the outside air and can therefore no longer escape. A window should be tilted, especially when taking a hot shower.

The professional fire department then carried out checks and measurements in the stairwell and in the adjoining apartments. "We then set up a ventilation unit in the stairwell." The gas boiler was shut off by Wiener Netze during the operation.