First Aid Guide: Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a disease that usually results in vomiting and diarrhea after a person eats or drinks fluids contaminated with certain bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals (toxins). All foods contain small amounts of naturally occurring bacteria, however, improper cooking, handling or storage can result in the bacteria multiplying to large enough numbers to cause such sickness.

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Causes

Viruses and bacteria

Viruses are one of the most frequent cause of food poisoning. The next highest causes are bacteria. For example in the U.S., about 31 viral and bacterial pathogens are responsible for almost 9.4 million diagnosed food poisoning illnesses per year and about 48 million food poisoning cases are undiagnosed. Yearly, about 128,000 people are hospitalized and about 3,000 die from all causes of food poisoning.

The most common pathogens that cause food poisoning are:

1. Norovirus
2. Salmonella
3. Clostridium perfringens
4. Campylobacter
5. Staphylococcus aureus

The most common pathogens that caused hospitalizations due to contamination of foods or fluids are:

1. Salmonella
2. Norovirus
3. Campylobacter
4. Toxoplasma gondii
5. Escherichia coli (E. coli)

The most common pathogens that cause deaths are:

1. Salmonella
2. Toxoplasma gondii
3. Listeria monocytogenes
4. Norovirus
5. Campylobacter

Infectious agents comprise the largest category of food poisoning, but as seen from the above top categories, viral infections comprise the bulk of infected patients but are far less likely to cause hospitalizations and deaths than Salmonella bacteria.

Toxins

There are many toxins that can cause food poisoning. Some are produced by bacteria on or in food and others are produced by plants and animals/fish or other organisms that are ingested. There are many plants and animals/fish that can be poisonous under certain conditions but they are encountered infrequently or under special conditions.

Various toxins and their sources

Bacteria	Plants	Animals/fish/other
enterotoxins	Mushroom toxins	Scombroid toxin
exotoxins	Belladona	Ciguatera toxin
cytotxins	Ricin	Sasitoxin
neurotoxins	Hemlock	Tetrodotoxin

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Signs And Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of food poisoning for most cases are as follows:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea

However, symptoms infrequently can get worse. Other symptoms include:

• Blood in the stool or vomit
• Dehydration
• High fevers
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
• Headaches
• Weakness
• Blurry vision
• Numb, tingling, or burning sensations in the extremities
• Bloating
• Liver problems
• Renal problems
• Reactive arthritis
• Seizures
• Death

Symptoms of food poisoning sometimes depend on which organ system the poison affects, for example, the neurological system may be altered by neurotoxins like pesticides and botulinum toxin.

When a group of individuals experiences similar symptoms after eating or drinking similar foods, food poisoning may be suspected.

Some people are at higher risk to develop food poisoning. They include children, older adults, pregnant women and people with medical conditions like diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease and anyone with immunosupression.

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First Aid Treatment For Food Poisoning

Treatment of food poisoning depends on the cause. Many cases of food poisoning can be treated at home with simple self-care measures.

Short episodes of vomiting and small amounts of diarrhea lasting less than 24 hours can usually be cared for at home. Home remedies to soothe food poisoning symptoms may help speed recovery and may include:

• Rest
• Rehydration
• Slowly begin to eat bland foods like rice, bananas, toast, gelatin
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, fatty, and seasoned or spicy foods

However, it’s important to remember that children and the elderly are most at risk of developing complications from food poisoning. Always seek medical advice if you are concerned about the severity or duration of symptoms. 

Seek Medical Attention

• Seek medical attention for symptoms lasting longer than three days, if blood appears in the victim’s stools or the victim is a child/elderly.
• If watery diarrhea turns bloody, seek medical attention immediately.
• Rest and drink plenty of liquids to keep hydrated
• Don’t use anti-diarrheal medications because they may slow elimination of bacteria from your system.

Medical Treatment

The main treatment for food poisoning is rehydration or the process of putting fluids back in the body through an intravenous (IV) line or by drinking.

You may need to be admitted to the hospital. This depends on the severity of the dehydration, your response to therapy, and your ability to drink fluids without vomiting.

Other medical interventions may include the following:

• Antivomiting and diarrhea medications may be given.
• The doctor may also treat any fever to make you more comfortable.
• Antibiotics are rarely needed for food poisoning. In some cases, antibiotics would worsen the condition. Only a few specific causes of food poisoning are improved by using these medications.
• With mushroom poisoning or eating foods contaminated with pesticides, aggressive treatment may include lavage by irrigating anf cleaning out the contents of the stomach or giving medications as antidotes. These type of poisonings are very serious and may require intensive care in the hospital.

Do’s And Dont’s

• Do not eat solid food while nauseous or vomiting but drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, or sugary drinks, if possible. Small, frequent sips of clear liquids (those you can see through) are the best way to stay hydrated.
• Over– the–counter rehydration products made for children such as Pedialyte and Rehydralyte are expensive but good to use if available.
• Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade are fine for adults if they are diluted with water because at full strength they contain too much sugar, which can worsen diarrhea.

• After successfully tolerating fluids, eating should begin slowly, when nausea and vomiting have stopped.
• Plain foods that are easy on the stomach should be started in small amounts.
• Consider eating rice, wheat, breads, potatoes, cereals (low–sugar cereals), lean meats, and chicken (not fried) to start.
• Milk can be given safely, although some people may experience additional stomach upset due to lactose intolerance.
• Most food poisonings do not require the use of over–the–counter medicines to stop diarrhea, but they are generally safe if used as directed.
• It is not recommended for over–the–counter medicines to be given to children.

If there is any question or concern, you should always check with your doctor.

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