Flashcards in Food poisoning Deck (45)
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1
What number and above on the bristol stool chart signifies diarrhoea?
Type 5
2
What is food poisoning?
Illness caused by eating food contaminated with micro-organisms, toxins, poisons etc
3
What sorts of pathogens can cause food poisoning?
Bacteria, viruses and parasites
4
Why might there be blood in the stool in food poisoning?
If the bacteria/pathogen has invaded the bowel wall
5
What GI symptoms are usually present with food poisoning?
Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea
6
Name a protozoa and a virus which are transmitted via food but do not cause diarrhoea
Hep A and toxoplasma
7
Which bacteria is the commonest cause of food poisoning?
Campylobacter
8
Which bacteria causes outbreaks?
Salmonella
9
Name a bacteria which is rare but causes significant morbidity and outbreaks
E. coli 0157
10
Where do most cases of food poisoning occur?
At home
11
What are relevant aspects of a patient's history?
Diarrhoea- is there blood?
History- travel, functions, contacts
Suspect food
Anyone else suffering?
Time from ingestion of suspect food
Age of patient- children have a different risk for different pathogens than adults
Underlying medical problems
12
Which pathogens have a short incubation (time from ingestion to onset of symptoms) period of 1-6 hours?
Why is this time short?
What symptoms are there?
Staph aureus
Bacillus cereus
There is a preformed toxin which is rapidly absorbed. This acts on the vomiting centre in the brain.
There is vomiting and severe abdominal pain
13
Which pathogens have a medium intubation period of 12-48 hours?
What symptoms do they cause?
Salmonella
CI perfringens
There is diarrhoea which is often bloody
14
Which pathogens have a long intubation period of 2-14 days?
What symptoms do they cause?
Campylobacter
E.coli 0157
Diarrhoea which is often bloody
15
Where does bacillus cereus live?
Cereus = cereal
it lives in rice and cereal crops
used to be called chinese restaurant syndrome, as they would leave rice out overnight at room temp and fry it the next day, which did not remove the toxins.
16
What is the incubation period of campylobacter?
16-48 hours
17
What food is campylobacter found in?
Poultry and raw milk
18
Is campylobacter invasive?
What are the main symptoms?
Yes it is invasive.
The main symptoms are pain, blood in the stool (30%) and fever.
19
How should a patient with campylobacter infection be managed?
Rule of thumb is don't use antibiotics unless you have to, i.e. if the patient has comorbid factors.
If antibiotics are used: ciprofloxacin/erythromycin
Any person with diarrhoea should be in a single room but not so vital for campylobacter because there is less chance of person to person spread.
20
What is the incubation period for salmonella enteritidis?
12-48 hours
21
What foods are salmonella enteritidis found in?
Poultry, meat and raw egg
22
How does salmonella enteritidis cause symptoms?
What symptoms does it cause?
By releasing toxins and invading the gut wall
It causes diarrhoea and vomiting, blood and fever
23
How should salmonella enteriditis be managed?
If antibiotics are required (i.e. if the patient has comorbid factors), ciprofloxacin should be used.
24
How is salmonella enteriditis prevented?
Food hygeine
Vaccination of hens
Animal hygeine
25
What type of animals that may be kept as pets can carry another type of salmonella?
Reptiles
26
How is salmonella typed?
1. By serogrouping by different antigens on the body (e.g. the O antigen).
This is done by slide agglutination: the antigen agglutinates with the corresponding antibody
2. Serotyping- the serogroups are further divided by looking at the antigens on the tail of the bacterium.
E.g. salmonella enteriditis: eggs, poultry
sal. typhimurium- cooked ham
27
What are the commonest groups of salmonella in Tayside, in the O antigen group?
B, C and D
28
When should E.coli 0157 be suspected?
With bloody diarrhoea or blood per rectum
29
How is E.coli 0157 contracted?
Beef, raw water/milk
Person to person contact- both direct and indirect
Animal contact
30
