5 people suffer carbon monoxide poisoning during party at Ho Chi Minh City restaurant

Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital said the victims were brought in by the city's emergency service in varying states of confusion, severe headache, and vomiting.

According to Bui Anh Triet, deputy head of the hospital's quality management department, the group had been attending a private gathering in a closed room at a restaurant in Chanh Hung Ward on Tuesday.

About an hour later, staff found all five lying on the floor, semi-conscious and surrounded by vomit, before calling for emergency assistance.

An initial investigation showed that the restaurant had been running a power generator in an adjacent room.

Doctors immediately suspected carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the odorless, colorless, and highly toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion.

The patients were treated with high-flow oxygen and fluids, with diagnostic tests confirming CO exposure.

Thanks to timely intervention, their conditions stabilized and they are now recovering under medical observation.

Doctors warned that such incidents often occur during rainy or cold seasons or during power outages when generators or coal stoves are used indoors without adequate ventilation.

Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood, preventing oxygen from reaching vital organs like the brain and heart.

Even short exposure in confined spaces can be fatal.

Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and fatigue, while severe poisoning can lead to seizures, coma, or cardiac arrest.

Long-term effects may include memory loss, reduced concentration, and sleep disorders.

The hospital urged the public to use generators and other fuel-burning devices only in well-ventilated areas and never indoors.

"Just one small mistake can have devastating consequences for health and life," the hospital warned.