See a doctor? Or overreacting?
November 12, 2014 12:04 PM Subscribe
See a doctor? Or overreacting?
A friend successfully put out a fire on his balcony last night (from someone tossing lit cigarettes) but not before losing a couch and curtains and getting a fair face full of smoke, he feels fine now but is coughing up black phlegm.
Doctor time? Or no big deal?
A friend successfully put out a fire on his balcony last night (from someone tossing lit cigarettes) but not before losing a couch and curtains and getting a fair face full of smoke, he feels fine now but is coughing up black phlegm.
Doctor time? Or no big deal?
Google says he should see a doctor right away. He inhaled fire smoke, which could've damaged his lungs or cause an infection. Is there any reason not to go? This sounds very much like a "better safe than sorry" situation. Seems like you can expect a doctor to run tests to ensure your friend's lungs are working properly.
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:10 PM on November 12, 2014 [14 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:10 PM on November 12, 2014 [14 favorites]
Doesn't his doctor have an advice line where he can check if he needs to go in or not?
If there's no advice line, he should insist on an appointment right away.
posted by tel3path at 12:33 PM on November 12, 2014
If there's no advice line, he should insist on an appointment right away.
posted by tel3path at 12:33 PM on November 12, 2014
Yeah he should go. Just let the secretary know that he inhaled fire smoke and is coughing up phlem. They'll put your friend in for an appointment right away. He'll probably be fine, but like Apple said better safe than sorry.
posted by rancher at 12:34 PM on November 12, 2014
posted by rancher at 12:34 PM on November 12, 2014
He should definitely be seen for possible smoke inhalation issues. They will likely give him a chest xray to make sure he doesn't have any lung damage, but he would be seen for sure. Like the above, better safe than sorry.
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 12:39 PM on November 12, 2014
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 12:39 PM on November 12, 2014
Yes!
posted by pintapicasso at 12:44 PM on November 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by pintapicasso at 12:44 PM on November 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
I was recently in a car accident, and two days later, I still felt like... well, like some idiot had rear-ended me on a freeway and totaled my beloved Mustang. So, at the gentle urging of my spouse, I went to my doctor. He went through a concussion protocol and a flexibility check, and said I was fine but would still feel the effects for about another week, and if anything new popped up, to come in immediately. It cost me $20 after insurance, and I got more than $20 worth of peace of mind out of it.
Send your friend to a doctor and see whether his renters/homeowners insurance will pick up some of the check if his health insurance doesn't. But it'll be worth it, if only to have a professional tell him that even if he's still coughing in a few days, he'll be fine.
posted by Etrigan at 12:50 PM on November 12, 2014
Send your friend to a doctor and see whether his renters/homeowners insurance will pick up some of the check if his health insurance doesn't. But it'll be worth it, if only to have a professional tell him that even if he's still coughing in a few days, he'll be fine.
posted by Etrigan at 12:50 PM on November 12, 2014
Symptoms of smoke damage can take up to 36-48 hours to show up. Smoke damage itself might not hurt you but can predispose you to lung infections as the lining of the lung gets damaged and lead to pneumonia. Everyone that has had smoke damage to their lungs needs to see a doctor. The coughing & black gunk mean damage.
I am not a doctor, but I helped my volunteer firefighter brother study for a test many years ago & this is what I remember from it. They should see a doctor.
posted by wwax at 1:26 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
I am not a doctor, but I helped my volunteer firefighter brother study for a test many years ago & this is what I remember from it. They should see a doctor.
posted by wwax at 1:26 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
He should go right away.
Lung tissue is delicate. He may have serious, potentially deadly, lung damage. Smoke inhalation kills a lot more people than getting burned up does.
I used to pay insurance claims and read medical records as part of my job. Please urge him to get checked.
posted by Michele in California at 1:29 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
Lung tissue is delicate. He may have serious, potentially deadly, lung damage. Smoke inhalation kills a lot more people than getting burned up does.
I used to pay insurance claims and read medical records as part of my job. Please urge him to get checked.
posted by Michele in California at 1:29 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
"he feels fine"
If this were happening to me, I wouldn't go, unless I started experiencing some symptoms (aside from the phlegm).
posted by alex1965 at 1:53 PM on November 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
If this were happening to me, I wouldn't go, unless I started experiencing some symptoms (aside from the phlegm).
posted by alex1965 at 1:53 PM on November 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Fires cause burns and these injuries are obvious but injuries to the lungs and airways from smoke inhalation are often less apparent and may not present until 24-36 hours after exposure. In 2011-2012, being overcome by gas, smoke or toxic fumes was partly or wholly the cause of death in 53% of fatalities. (emphasis added)
Smoke inhalation injury, either by itself but more so in the presence of body surface burn, can result in severe lung-induced morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of death in burn centers is now respiratory failure... Injury to the lungs and airways is not only due to deposition of fine particulate soot but also due to the gaseous components of smoke, which include phosgene, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide.
After a latent period of 48 to 72 hours, toxin-mediated damage to the bronchial mucosa causes loss of mucociliary transport, bronchial edema, and cellular necrosis....The leading cause of death in structural fires is not thermal injury, but inhalation of smoke. Inhalation injuries occur in 10% to 20% of all hospitalized burn patients with associated mortality rates ranging from 30% to 90%.The presence of an inhalation injury has a greater effect on mortality than either patient age or surface area burned.[3,4] The significance of this effect was demonstrated in an autopsy series which showed that 70% of individuals who died within 12 hours of being burned had sustained a concomitant inhalation injury.
Please encourage your friend to be seen. It is well established that lung injury from smoke inhalation may not be immediately symptomatic and it is something that can be deadly.
posted by Michele in California at 2:10 PM on November 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
Smoke inhalation injury, either by itself but more so in the presence of body surface burn, can result in severe lung-induced morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of death in burn centers is now respiratory failure... Injury to the lungs and airways is not only due to deposition of fine particulate soot but also due to the gaseous components of smoke, which include phosgene, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide.
After a latent period of 48 to 72 hours, toxin-mediated damage to the bronchial mucosa causes loss of mucociliary transport, bronchial edema, and cellular necrosis....The leading cause of death in structural fires is not thermal injury, but inhalation of smoke. Inhalation injuries occur in 10% to 20% of all hospitalized burn patients with associated mortality rates ranging from 30% to 90%.The presence of an inhalation injury has a greater effect on mortality than either patient age or surface area burned.[3,4] The significance of this effect was demonstrated in an autopsy series which showed that 70% of individuals who died within 12 hours of being burned had sustained a concomitant inhalation injury.
Please encourage your friend to be seen. It is well established that lung injury from smoke inhalation may not be immediately symptomatic and it is something that can be deadly.
posted by Michele in California at 2:10 PM on November 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all! He is at the dr as I type this.
posted by Cosine at 2:40 PM on November 12, 2014 [15 favorites]
posted by Cosine at 2:40 PM on November 12, 2014 [15 favorites]
Definitely not overreacting. (IANYD/IANYFD/TINMA)
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:25 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:25 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all, turns out he has some smoke damage to his lungs and what looks like an infection, glad we scared him into going.
posted by Cosine at 8:46 PM on November 12, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by Cosine at 8:46 PM on November 12, 2014 [9 favorites]
Sorry to hear that, but glad he got it checked out and can take care of it. You're a good friend. Hope he has a speedy recovery.
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:36 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:36 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by queens86 at 12:10 PM on November 12, 2014 [4 favorites]