First aid for food poisoning

The holiday started off so nicely. A nice picnic in the mountains, a barbecue, lunch in that side street at ‘Chez…’ But it ended in a nightmare. Vomiting, diarrhea and severe abdominal pain are the most noticeable symptoms of food poisoning. Foods containing pathogenic bacteria or toxins that cause acute gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The culprits include enterococci, staphylococci and coliform bacteria, which contaminate food as a result of poor hygienic conditions or poor preparation methods. The first symptoms appear in full force within a few hours. There is often no stopping it. Anyone who cannot quickly find a toilet in the immediate vicinity has a major problem for obvious reasons.

Contents

• About coliforms, staphylococci, salmonella…
• … and the toxins of these pathogenic microorganisms
• First aid for ‘mild’ food poisoning

• What to do

• First aid for ‘severe’ food poisoning

• Serious complaints

About coliforms, staphylococci, salmonella…

In food poisoning ( gastroenteritis ), the gastrointestinal mucosa is inflamed. Flies that can feed freely in the kitchen, and other poor hygiene measures , often cause staphylococci, coliforms and salmonella to enter the food, after which they multiply billion-fold in the gastrointestinal tract. Culprits of food poisoning include:

Gastrointestinal tract / Source: ClkerFreeVectorImages, Pixabay

Salmonella
Salmonella, an intestinal bacterium that mainly occurs in poultry and livestock, forms a large species group including Salmonella typhi Eberth , which causes typhoid fever. More than 2,000 species of salmonella are known. This bacteria is often the cause of food poisoning . Meat can be a source of contamination, such as a tartare sandwich. In short, raw animal products are notorious, but so are raw vegetables and fruit. Humans can also be carriers of the salmonella bacteria. Transmitters of these micro-organisms are often also people (carriers) who do not wash their hands after the big message and then prepare food. In doing so, they also transmit coliform bacteria. In addition to an unhygienic preparation method, kitchen utensils that have been poorly washed and are not handled hygienically can also be a source of contamination. Flies are also notorious vectors of salmonella . The infection occurs via the legs and proboscis of these insects.

Escherichia coli (colibacterium)
This intestinal bacteria, or coli strains derived from it, can be found in food and contaminated water, as is often the case in cities and rural areas in South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and in the Mediterranean region, or the tropical and subtropical regions. The indigenous population has often built up some kind of resistance to it, but Western European holidaymakers and business people generally have not. In addition to other pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli is one of the causes of the infamous traveler’s diarrhea, an ailment that most backpackers who stay in distant, hot countries can relate to.

Staphylococci
The staphylococcus is a bullet-shaped bacterium that forms large colonies in no time, for example in poorly heated food or food that has not been cooked sufficiently or has cooled down too slowly. Intense vomiting is often one of the characteristic symptoms. Also be very careful when treating boils (staphylococcal infection). Due to poor hygiene, this infection can also cause food poisoning.

Source: Stevepb, Pixabay

… and the toxins of these pathogenic microorganisms

Typical for this form of contamination is food that has become bacterially contaminated after proper preparation (e.g. cooking and baking) and is slowly cooled. The bacterial growth is then enormous. Boiling it may kill the bacteria, but often not their toxins. The complaints, often severe diarrhea, occur within a few hours, while in other cases it can take longer, sometimes only after 36 hours, but usually earlier.

First aid for ‘mild’ food poisoning

The above-mentioned causes of food poisoning are just a few examples. The natural toxins of plants and fungi can also cause gastroenteritis. Fluid loss is one of the dangers of food poisoning due to diarrhea and vomiting. Preventing dehydration symptoms is therefore crucial if help takes a long time in, for example, remote areas in a holiday country without many medical facilities.

What to do

Traveler’s diarrhea and mild food poisoning will go away on their own, even at home in the Netherlands. Please note some important points:

• Prevent dehydration symptoms, children are especially sensitive to them. Try to get the patient to drink again as quickly as possible, such as small sips of water. Do not give drinks that irritate the stomach, such as milk and milk products. No cola either (but only once the injection has been removed).
• Do not immediately use immodium and related diarrhea stoppers. First let nature take its course by releasing the toxins from the body through diarrhea and vomiting.
• If necessary, provide an electrolyte cocktail. Rehydration bags (ORS or oral rehydration solution ) are available at the drugstore or pharmacy. Mixing fruit juice (potassium) with a spoonful of honey (glucose) and a pinch of salt (sodium chloride) is also an effective way to prevent electrolyte loss in the first recovery phase of food poisoning.
• Later, give something easily digestible, such as broth and porridge, a rusk with tea.
• Let the patient slowly get used to ‘heartier’ meals. For the time being, avoid fiber-rich, spicy, sour and fatty dishes. After all, the gastrointestinal tract must recover slowly.
• Notify a doctor if the ‘normal’ symptoms do not go away after a few days, if there is fever and if there is blood in the stool.

Source: Rosanegra 1, Pixabay

First aid for ‘severe’ food poisoning

With normal food poisoning or traveler’s diarrhea , the symptoms should disappear within two or three days. However, the dangers of food poisoning should not be underestimated. Particularly in children and the chronically ill. They belong to the risk group for whom gastroenteritis can develop into more serious complaints and consequences. In distant holiday countries, amoeba dysentery is always lurking. One should also be wary of these

symptoms .

Serious complaints

Notify a doctor if ‘normal’ food poisoning is accompanied by the following signs and symptoms:

• If the symptoms of ‘normal’ food poisoning do not diminish after a few days.
• If fever occurs.
• In case of intense vomiting, in which no fluid is retained, and in case of heavy, mucous diarrhea that does not go away even after a few days.
• Blood in the stool (diarrhea).
• Symptoms of dehydration, such as intense thirst, dry mouth, no urine production, or very dark urine, and if the skin folds do not stretch when squeezing the skin on the back of the hand.
• In case of general malaise with muscle weakness, swallowing problems and breathing disorders. This may be the case, for example, after eating mushrooms or spoiled shellfish.

read more

• Traveler’s diarrhea – causes, treatment and prevention
• Amoeba dysentery – causes, symptoms, treatment
• Anatomy & physiology in 10 steps – the gastrointestinal tract
• Vomit – what can you tell from it?
• Prevent food poisoning – at home and when travelling