FOOD POISONING. WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW.

Food poisoning is not just one of the most common pathologies in the United Kingdom but it is also worldwide.

Toxins, parasites or bacteria are the common causes of food poisoning, frequently produced by Salmonella, E.Coli, Clostridium Difficile, Staphylococci, etc.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms are vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and in the most severe cases, fever.

Fever is the sign which will indicate that a much more aggressive bacteria is present within the body and can range from causing a slight fever in mild cases of food poisoning to a high fever in severe ones; the more severe cases can require antibiotics prior to a stool culture.

PREVENTION

Prevention is key when it comes to food poisoning:

• Keeping meats, fish, vegetables and all types of food in the fridge.
• Not disrupting the freezing chain of foods, in other words, do not refreeze something that has already been defrosted.
• Cook all food thoroughly, especially meat and fish.
• Hands must always be thoroughly washed prior to touching all food as well as before eating.
• Fresh vegetables should be washed thoroughly.
• All utensils must be washed meticulously, especially if they have been previously used to cut meat or fish.

TREATMENT

The treatment will delve into the importance of hydration and the replacement of ions in order to have a quick and effective recovery.

Hydration takes place through the use of Oral Rehydration Solutions, which usually come prepared in packets and is essential for children; nevertheless, we will provide a very simple and easy way to prepare it, for those that do not have access to them:

• A knife end of salt, bicarbonate of soda, a squeezed lemon and sugar (to taste) are added to a litre of bottled water (or boiled water in its absence). 

It is to be drunk cold so that it is tolerated better; it should be drunk throughout the day, in small doses every ten minutes, which are to be increased steadily.

A soft diet can be put in place after 24 hours based on potato or carrot puree, boiled rice, grilled chicken breast, hake (either boiled or in a broth) toast with olive oil, apple, etc.

The Oral Rehydration Solution would be administered to children in the following way: a teaspoon of the solution is to given every five minutes during the first hour, a tablespoon should then be given every ten minutes during the second hour and larger quantities will be then applied within longer time intervals when the child is able to tolerate more. Their soft diet will be based on rice as a cereal and chicken and hake given in the form of purees along with other foods, however the topic of food poisoning in children will be discussed further in a future article.

Lastly, I would like to state that we live surrounded by microorganisms and it is our duty to find the best way to defend ourselves against them.

Dr J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus