Food Poisoning Health Video

Video Transcript

SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladerry. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary and I'd like to give you some information on food poisoning. These results from eating organisms or toxins in contaminated food; most cases are due to bacteria such as staphylococcus or E. coli. It's a very common problem and occurs in situations where food has been left unrefrigerated for too long or when food preparation techniques are not good. It often comes from eating undercooked meats, dairy products, or food containing mayonnaise. Who is at risk? Anyone can get food poisoning, especially travellers and those who live in tropical climates. Infants, elderly people, and those with serious medical conditions have the greatest risk if they get food poisoning. Pregnant and breastfeeding women also need to be especially careful. What are the symptoms of food poisoning? Generally, it starts within two to six hours of eating the food responsible. The symptoms may be nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps. There may be diarrhea, which can be bloody. There may be fever and chills or headache, weakness which can be serious and lead to respiratory arrest and may also occur, for example in botulism, this is a very serious form of food poisoning that can be fatal and it can come from things like improper home canning of foods. What about the treatments for food poisoning? The most important is to avoid dehydration so you will need to drink plenty of fluids, avoiding any dairy products. If you're unable to drink fluids for example because of excessive nausea or vomiting, you will need some medical attention and you will need to receive intravenous fluids instead. This is especially true for young children. Sometimes, you will also need to take an antibiotic if the symptoms are very severe and include fever. When should you contact a doctor? You will need to contact your healthcare provider if you have prolonged diarrhea, if you're unable to drink fluids, if you have fever or blood in the stools, or any more serious complications.