Help with food poisoning

Help with food poisoning should be provided as quickly as possible, the health of the victim and even his life sometimes depend on the speed of timely and competent actions. Food poisoning most often occurs in an acute form, the symptoms develop quickly and are associated with the type of poisoning:

1. Foodborne toxic infections are poisonings caused by food products containing microbes.
2. Chemical intoxication.
3. Poisoning by animal, insect or plant toxins.

Providing assistance in case of food poisoning is based on four rules:

1. Cleansing (gastric lavage or infusion therapy).
2. Adsorption and removal of toxins.
3. Drink plenty of fluids.
4. Strict diet.

Independent actions to cleanse the stomach and neutralize poisoning are unacceptable in certain cases: calling an ambulance is necessary for the following categories of victims:

• Elderly persons (over 60 years old).
• Children from birth to 15 years of age.
• People with a history of chronic diseases (gastrointestinal tract, cardiology, diabetes, nephropathy, neurological pathologies, asthma and others).
• Food poisoning from poisonous plants or mushrooms.
• In cases where the victim shows symptoms of paralysis or impaired consciousness.

If the intoxication is determined to be mild and the patient does not have life-threatening symptoms (uncontrollable vomiting, bloody diarrhea, low blood pressure and seizures), the following can be done:

• The victim needs to drink as much clean water as possible (boiled, purified, still mineral water). Soda solutions, chamomile decoctions and other "folk" methods are not appropriate and can even cause harm at the first stage of cleansing. The pathogen and toxin that caused the poisoning are unknown, as are the reactions occurring inside the body. If the patient does not have a gag reflex, it can be activated by pressing on the root of the tongue (it is better to do this with a clean spoon, not a finger).
• Drinking water will not only help cleanse the digestive tract, but also replenish the loss of fluid that is removed from the body with vomit and diarrhea. Providing assistance in case of poisoning is neutralizing dehydration. The victim must drink at least 2 liters of water per day. It is better if it is a rehydration drug purchased at a pharmacy (Romfalak, Atoxil or Regidron). At home, you can prepare a drink in this way: add a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar to 1 liter of purified water.
• The patient is given a toxin-absorbing drug to drink – Enterosgel or activated carbon (suspension).

If the symptoms of poisoning do not subside after 4-6 hours, you need to call a doctor; self-medication can worsen the victim’s condition.

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First aid for food poisoning

This is a clear implementation of already familiar activities. It is not necessary to take special courses for this, you just need to remember the algorithm of actions:

1. Emergency removal of toxins from the digestive tract. This can be done by gastric lavage - drinking a large amount of liquid and activating the gag reflex. Note that vomiting is how the body cleanses the stomach, and diarrhea cleanses the intestines, so it should not be stopped, at least in the first 2-3 hours after poisoning.
2. Stopping the spread of toxins. This can be done by taking sorbents - activated carbon suspension, Polysorb, Enterosgel, Liferan.
3. Reducing dehydration or dehydration. This can be done by drinking plenty of fluids. Pharmaceutical preparations are effective - Romfalak, Hydrovit, Regidron, Reosolan, Gastrolit, Normogidron. You can also drink regular purified or boiled water, as well as still mineral water.
4. Providing a "rest" for the digestive organs. First aid for food poisoning is fasting on the first day and restricting food (diet) for the next 5-7 days. Food should be boiled, chopped, enveloping (rice broth, jelly, light cream soups).
5. Restoration of the gastrointestinal tract function. This is done with the help of a two-week intake of enzyme preparations and probiotics. Mezim, Festal, Enzimtal are suitable as enzymes. Probiotics - Bifiform, Lactobacterin, Probifor.

Contrary to popular belief, cleansing enemas, taking antibacterial or constipating drugs can worsen the patient's condition and distort the clinical picture of food poisoning. These appointments should be made by a doctor. Also, you should not take independent action in case of threatening symptoms, the only thing that should be done as quickly as possible is to call an ambulance.

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First aid for food poisoning

This is pathogenetic therapy, which is carried out only by specialists with medical education. Such assistance is necessary in acute forms of intoxication, as well as in cases where we are talking about small children, the elderly or those who suffer from chronic diseases (diabetes, bronchial asthma, cardiopathy, neurological diseases). The first thing an ambulance doctor does is assess the patient's condition and primary differential diagnostics of the type of poisoning. The issue of urgent hospitalization is decided depending on the severity of intoxication and the threat to the life of the victim.

In hospital conditions, the diagnosis is clarified using a set of laboratory tests, which are carried out in the "cito" mode. Further actions are almost identical to those carried out at home, but professional emergency care for food poisoning involves the use of specific detoxification measures, infusion of saline solutions and symptomatic treatment.

Methods for removing toxins can be different - from gastric lavage using a probe and the use of a siphon enema to forced diuresis and hemodialysis. In addition to detoxification measures, the patient is prescribed infusions to restore water-electrolyte balance, antibacterial therapy. Then the doctors' actions are aimed at correcting the condition of the victim and eliminating all possible consequences of poisoning.

First aid for food poisoning

This is a clear plan of action that is recommended to be read and remembered, since the summer season is just around the corner, therefore, the risk of food poisoning increases many times.

Signs of poisoning that require first aid:

1. Feeling of nausea, vomiting.
2. Diarrhea, often uncontrollable, possibly with mucus and blood.
3. Increase in body temperature to 38-39 degrees, chills.
4. Feeling of dry mouth, difficulty breathing.
5. No urge to urinate despite drinking plenty of fluids.
6. Drop in blood pressure.
7. Cyanosis (bluish tint of the skin).
8. Loss of coordination, dizziness, double vision.

The first steps are to activate or induce vomiting with liquid, lay the victim on his side, give him plenty to drink, apply cold to his forehead, and a heating pad to his calves. If the symptoms subside, give him an adsorbent and observe the patient's condition.

Life-threatening signs of poisoning (paralysis, CNS dysfunction, drop in blood pressure, bloody diarrhea) require an immediate call to an ambulance. If the symptoms subside, a doctor should be called in any case to determine the cause of the intoxication and prevent its possible spread.

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Helping a child with food poisoning

Help for a child is most often provided in a medical institution in inpatient conditions. There are often cases when parents try to help a sick child on their own, wasting precious time. In children, food poisoning occurs in an acute form, so calling an ambulance is most often inevitable. The following signs of poisoning are especially alarming:

• An increase in body temperature to 38 degrees. Temperature that lasts for more than 2 hours.
• Colic and abdominal pain of increasing nature. The pain does not go away after vomiting or defecation.
• Uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea (risk of rapid dehydration).
• No urination for more than 4-5 hours.
• Dry mouth, increased salivation, difficulty swallowing and breathing.
• Bluish discoloration of the skin, fainting.

Help for a child with mild food poisoning can be attempted at home. Mild intoxications include cases accompanied by bowel disorder (no more than 3-5 times a day), slight increase in temperature, periodic vomiting). The parents' actions should be as follows:

1. Even in cases of mild poisoning, you should call your doctor or emergency services to report the poisoning and receive competent recommendations and advice on how to help your child.
2. Before the doctor's visit or the ambulance arrives, the child's stomach needs to be washed. Vomiting should not frighten parents - this is how the body tries to remove toxins on its own. To speed up this process, you need to give the child clean water at room temperature to drink. The volume of liquid depends on age and is calculated according to the following scheme:

Age (months, years)	Amount of liquid (ml)
From birth to 1 month	10-15
From 1 to 2 months	35-70
From 2 to 4 months	70-90
From 4 to six months	90-110
From six months to 8 months	110-120
From 8 to one year	120-140
From one year to three years	150-200
From 3 to 5 years	200-250
From 5 to 7 years old	250-300
From 7 to 11 years old	300-450
From 11 to 14 years old	450-500

The table shows the volume of liquid that can be given to a child at one time.

The gag reflex can be activated by gently pressing the root of the tongue with a teaspoon or a cleanly washed finger. The actions should be repeated until the vomit is cleared of food residue.

3. After vomiting, it is necessary to lay the child down each time so that his head is turned to the side (reducing the risk of possible aspiration).
4. After the gag reflex subsides, it is necessary to give the child drinks as often as possible to prevent dehydration.
5. To adsorb toxins in case of food poisoning, Enterosgel is recommended. Children over 5-6 years old can be given a suspension of activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per kilogram of weight.
6. If the symptoms of poisoning subside within 24 hours, from the second day the child is prescribed a gentle diet. It is advisable to discuss the menu and the set of products with a doctor, who should be called in any case.

Mild food poisoning, if treated correctly and in a timely manner, does not require urgent hospitalization and can be treated at home.

What not to do if you have food poisoning

1. It is forbidden to induce a gag reflex in an unconscious patient, in pregnant women or in children under 2 years of age. Vomiting is also contraindicated in cases of convulsions or cardiac diseases.
2. Do not place a heating pad on the abdominal area.
3. You should not give constipating drugs or decoctions for diarrhea.
4. Vomiting can worsen a serious condition caused by poisoning with acid, petroleum products, or alkali.
5. You should not give yourself an enema, especially if you are a small child, an elderly person or a pregnant woman.
6. Milk and carbonated water should not be given as drinks.
7. You cannot take any initiative - give alkaline drinks in case of acid poisoning and vice versa.

Timely emergency care for food poisoning often helps to avoid hospitalization, and sometimes saves not only the health, but also the life of the victim.