Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with harmful microorganisms. It often affects many people after consuming shared food at homes, hospitals, hotels, or social gatherings.
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Causes
- Infective: caused by bacteria such as Salmonella typhimurium, Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus
- Toxic: caused by toxins from Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium botulinum
Clinical Features
- Nausea and vomiting
- Intermittent abdominal pain (colic) with diarrhoea
- Fever, especially in infective cases
- Usually self-limiting
- Botulism presents with paralysis of skeletal, eye, throat, and respiratory muscles
Differential Diagnosis
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- Other gastrointestinal infections
Investigations
- Careful history and examination
- Stool microscopy and culture & sensitivity tests
Management
Treatment
- Cause identified and treated accordingly
- Oral rehydration salts (ORS) or intravenous normal saline fluids given for rehydration as needed
- Paracetamol 1 g given every 4-6 hours for pain (Child dose: 10 mg/kg per dose)
- For severe diarrhoea with blood or high fever, antibiotics given for 3-7 days based on response:
- Ciprofloxacin 500 mg given every 12 hours (Child dose: 10 mg/kg per dose)
- Or erythromycin 500 mg given every 6 hours (Child dose: 10 mg/kg per dose)
Prevention
Maintain good personal and domestic hygiene
Thoroughly heat cooked foods before eating and avoid eating cold leftovers
