Woman Hospitalised After 30 Hours in Sealed Air-Con Room
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A woman surnamed Yin in Heilongjiang was taken to hospital after spending more than 30 hours in an air-conditioned room with the doors and windows closed, later developing dizziness, nausea, numbness and convulsions. Doctors said the problem was not the air conditioner itself but a prolonged lack of ventilation that allowed indoor carbon dioxide to build up and oxygen levels to fall. She gradually recovered after about two hours of oxygen therapy. Experts say many household air conditioners only recirculate indoor air, making regular ventilation essential during long periods of use.
Key Points
- Yin said the air conditioner had been running for more than a day and night on 3 August, while the room remained sealed without opening windows.
- Her early symptoms included dizziness, headache or head pressure, nausea and weakness, but painkillers did not improve her condition.
- On the way to hospital, she developed stiff limbs, facial and head numbness, difficulty speaking and then full-body convulsions.
- Emergency doctors concluded excessive indoor carbon dioxide had caused oxygen deprivation, with Sing Tao describing the condition as hypoxic brain injury
- China’s indoor air quality guideline recommends a one-hour average carbon dioxide concentration below 1,000ppm; a cited test found 13-square-metre sealed bedroom levels rose above 2,000ppm within an hour
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers who rely heavily on air conditioning during long, humid summers, the case is a reminder that cooling and ventilation are not the same thing. The practical advice is simple: after two to four hours of continuous air-conditioner use, open windows for five to 15 minutes, and at night leave a small two-to-three-centimetre window gap if conditions allow. Air purifiers cannot reduce carbon dioxide and should not be treated as a substitute for fresh-air exchange