CO-nfused? Diagnose the Clues!
You’ll need
- Pens or pencils
- A4 paper
- Patient Cards
- Diagnosis Sheet (optional)
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
Planning and setting up the activity
- This activity is designed to help young people recognise the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and how they can keep themselves and their family safe. Make sure you check any gas-based appliances in your meeting place and in your equipment stores before beginning this activity to ensure everyone stays safe.
- Write out or print out the patient cards, clue cards and diagnosis sheets.
- The number of cards you need depends on how many groups you have. There are 12 possible Patients and Diagnoses which can be added or removed for each game, but the Carbon Monoxide card should be included in every round.
- If reducing the number of patients in a game, you could let the The Diagnosis Team know which illness or ailments will not be in play to make the game easier.
Running the activity
- Gather everyone together and explain that today they’ll be taking part in a fun and challenging game of Mystery Diagnosis.
- The person leading the activity should introduce the topic of carbon monoxide (CO) and explain that this game will help everyone learn how to recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to keep themselves and others safe.
- Split the group into teams of between six and twelve. Each team will then divide again into Patients and a Diagnosis Team.
- The teams don’t have to be even, there can be more Patients than Diagnosticians.
- Each Patient receives a Patient Card, which describes their symptoms and some background information. They must keep this information to themselves and only answer questions based on what’s written on their card.
- The Diagnosis Team receives pens, paper, and a Diagnosis Sheet to keep notes and record their guesses.
- Arrange seating so that the Diagnosis Team sits together (at a table or on the floor), while the Patients sit facing them, a few metres away.
Playing the game
- The Diagnosis Team takes turns asking one question at a time to any Patient on the panel.
- Patients must answer truthfully, but only using the information on their card.
- The Diagnosis Team should work as a team, listening carefully to each answer and discuss what it might be.
- The Diagnosis Team should work together, listening carefully, discussing clues, and narrowing down possibilities.
- If they get stuck, the team may request up to 3 Clue Cards to help guide them.
- Once the time is up or the team is ready, they must write down which Patient they believe is suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Then, all Patients can reveal their true diagnoses to see if they were correct or not.
- Swap roles so the Diagnosis Team becomes the Patients, and the Patients become the new Diagnosis Team.
- At the end of the session, discuss whether teams think they could spot the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning in real life, and if they do, what should the do about it?
- Discuss safe steps such as leaving the area immediately and telling an adult.
- If anyone suspects carbon monoxide or smells gas, they should call the free National Gas Helpline immediately on 0800 111 999
- Cohabitees/co-occupants: Ask if other individuals living in the same household or any pets are experiencing similar symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, or confusion.
- Carbon monoxide exposure typically affects everyone sharing the same environment, so multiple cases can strongly indicate CO poisoning.
- Outdoors: Ask whether the symptoms improve when the person goes outside into fresh air.
- Relief of symptoms upon leaving the indoor environment suggests that an indoor contaminant, such as carbon monoxide, might be the cause.
- Maintenance: Ask if fuel-burning appliances (like boilers, stoves, or furnaces) and vents have been properly maintained or serviced recently.
- Faulty or poorly maintained equipment can leak carbon monoxide gas, leading to dangerous indoor exposure.
- Alarm: Ask if the residence has a working carbon monoxide alarm installed and whether it has been triggered recently.
- A functioning alarm is a critical safety device that can detect elevated CO levels early and alert occupants to evacuate.
The acronym COMA is a helpful tool used in healthcare settings to identify potential carbon monoxide poisoning. Each letter stands for a key clue to investigate during patient assessment.
Reflection
This activity was about being healthy and developing skills, so we can keep ourselves and other people safe. By understanding more about carbon monoxide and how it can be dangerous, what do you think you can do in future to protect yourself from carbon monoxide?
There are plenty of things around us that might seem scary or dangerous, but we just need to be careful with them. It’s just the same as wearing shin pads when we play football or a helmet on our bikes to stay safe.
What other things can we do to help stay safe? It could be sharing what we’ve learnt about carbon monoxide, being ready to spot the symptoms, checking our homes and getting a carbon monoxide monitor, or asking question about other things we want to learn how to use safely.
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a serious risk, so make sure you cook or use appliances in a properly ventilated area. If you need a sheltered cooking area, consider an open sided gazebo, dining shelter or a marquee that has sufficient air circulation and ventilation. Take a look at our further guidance on carbon monoxide.
- To make this activity easier, you could reduce the number of patients or increase the number of clues.
- To make this activity harder, you could give the diagnostic team a time limit.
- Make sure your space is safe and suitable for everyone to move around comfortably. Be mindful of noise levels, if your setting is busy or loud, consider running the activity in a quieter space.
- Adjust team sizes to suit your group. Smaller Diagnosis Team can help make communication easier and more inclusive.
- Some participants may find reading, writing, or remembering clues difficult. Pair them with teammates who can support by reading aloud, writing down answers, or helping to keep track of information.
- Consider using props or illustrations to represent some of the items or scenarios mentioned in the game, especially if your meeting place doesn’t already have them visible.
- Some health topics may be sensitive for certain individuals. Allow participants to discreetly swap cards or opt out of specific roles if they wish.
- If someone prefers not to take an active speaking role, they could take part as a note-taker, clue card manager, or observer.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
You can visit our guidance on carbon monoxide safety. Remember to regularly check your meeting place and equipment to make sure it’s safe, such as by having a carbon monoxide alarm or a yearly service on gas equipment. You could also run some more of our activities to learn about the dangers of carbon monoxide.