Hospital: Hyperbaric chambers won't return
Lack of devices forced leak victims to other facilities
By Steven Cook
Gazette Reporter
October 13, 2000
AMSTERDAM - The removal of Amsterdam Memorial Hospital's two
hyperbaric chambers in June did not affect victims of this
week's carbon monoxide leak at the Best Western hotel, hospital
officials said Thursday.
The chambers, used to treat victims of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, were removed for lack of use and because of difficulties in finding a new director of the program, said Jennifer Gilson, Amsterdam Memorial vice president for patient services.
The director of Problem Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Amsterdam Memorial was responsible for overseeing use of the chamber and procedures in treating victims. The chambers help force oxygen into the blood stream by increasing air pressure surrounding the patient.
More than a dozen Best Western guests, employees and Amsterdam firefighters were treated for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Seven of those required hyperbaric treatment and were transported on Wednesday to hospitals in Syracuse and Westchester County.
No hyperbaric chambers are located in the Capital Region, Gilson said.
Despite having to travel more than 100 miles for treatment, five of the seven taken for hyperbaric treatment were released later Wednesday with the last two released before noon Thursday.
In the slightly more than three years Amsterdam Memorial had the chambers, they were used just 20 times.
Despite Wednesday's incident, Gilson said she doesn't see the chambers returning.
"We don't feel that it's feasible for Amsterdam to continue the service," Gilson said.
The Best Western's pool remained closed Thursday until repairs are made to a swimming pool heater blamed for emitting the gas. Fire department officials will inspect the heater before the pool is reopened, hotel manager Susan Maye said.
The hotel also installed temporary audible carbon monoxide detectors Thursday. The system eventually will be wired into the hotel's smoke detection system, Maye said.
The final two victims of Wednesday morning's carbon monoxide leak, newlyweds Richard and Ursula Vasieck, of Vienna, Austria, returned to Amsterdam from Westchester County Thursday afternoon via a hotel-chartered limousine.
The Vasiecks, who were on the first night of their honeymoon in the United States, were traveling through New York when they stopped Tuesday night in Amsterdam.
Richard Vasieck said Wednesday they planned to go on to Boston, New York City and then to Miami before returning to Austria next month.
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