Food Poisoning - Tips for prevention and treatment of Salmonella, E.coli and other bacteria.

Exams and tests:
The doctor will check for signs of food poisoning like dehydration and tenderness in the abdomen region. Clinical tests may be called for -on the patient’s blood, stool and vomit to find out the cause of the poisoning. Also leftover food is examined sometimes to get to the root cause of the problem.

Treatment:
The main aim while treating food poisoning is to avoid dehydration and make the patient feel better. Generally a person suffering from common types of food poisoning will recuperate within a couple of days, with proper care.

Tips for patient care -

• Do not consume solid foods till the diarrhea has passed.
• Avoid dairy products as it can worsen the situation, due to temporary lactose intolerance
• Consume lots of fluid to replace body fluids lost either due to vomiting and diarrhea (no caffeinated beverages or milk)
• Take a electrolyte solution every 2 hours (children need them more than adults)

Medication during a bout of food poisoning:
Usually no antibiotics are prescribed for common types of food poisoning but the patient may require medicines that help slow down the diarrhea. However children should never be medicated, even if bloody diarrhea or fever persists.

If the person is not able to withstand any fluids through the oral route, fluids may have to be given through intravenous. Patients on diuretics should immediately check with their doctor while managing diarrhea. Medications should not be discontinued or changed without the instructions from the doctor. However sometimes medical attention is required immediately to flush the stomachs contents and remove the toxin.

Medical attention is required if:

• Diarrhea lasts beyond 2 days
• There is blood in your stools
• Unable to take in fluids due to vomiting/nausea
• There is high temperature
• There are signs of dehydration like thirst, dizziness, light headedness

Rush to the emergency if a person’s:

• Stools are black or dark red in color due to excessive bleeding
• Heart is pounding, racing or skipping a beat

What can the public do to reduce their risks?
Points to be kept in mind to avoid food poisoning

• Wash your hand thoroughly before cooking and cleaning food
• Clean you hands thoroughly after handling raw meat and meat products
• Utensils containing raw meat should always be cleaned immediately after emptying
• Meats should be thoroughly cooked to kill all bacteria
• Cooked meat should be always stored in a fresh and clean utensil. Never use the container that had uncooked meat to store cooked meat.
• Excess food should always be frozen aseptically and promptly.
• Uncooked meat, poultry, fish etc that are in the refrigerator for more than 2 days should be discarded
• Cans with dents or bulges, packaged food with broken seal and outdated foods should be disposed of immediately.
• Do not consume foods that are stale or with bad odour.
• Untreated water should not be used for drinking or cooking

Taking small precautions can go a long way to prevent food poisoning and its consequences.

Sangeetha Narayana Swamy & Kanika Jain
Dietitians, Nutritionvista.com

Sources:

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm
• http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/