Food Poisoning

with Vincents Dindzans, M.D., gastroenterologist, Columbia St. Mary’s

Last Updated: June 1, 2003

Gastroenterologists see patients for many serious conditions but a common problem many of these specialists treat in the summer months is food poisoning. And it’s no wonder. This is the time of camping trips and picnics featuring pasta and potato salads, grilled burgers and chicken – the prime suspects in most food poisonings.

Symptoms
Food poisoning is often erroneously thought of as “stomach flu” and the symptoms are much the same: nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. “This can occur any time within an hour to a day or two later,” the doctor said.

Most cases of food poisoning clear up on their own, but some symptoms do require a doctor’s input. This is true if a person starts getting dehydrated to the point where he feels dizzy or weak, if a fever develops or if there is blood in the diarrhea.

Often, the first thing people do when they suspect food poisoning is phone others who ate the same meal to see how they feel. However, one person in a group may be more susceptible to a certain food-borne bacteria. Those most susceptible include the old, the young and people on antibiotics or the immunosuppressive drugs.

Causes of food poisoning
Many different factors can cause food poisoning but there are some main culprits.

“The first concern is meat that is not cooked enough. This applies predominantly to chicken and burgers but the same could be true about steaks and pork chops, too,” said Dr. Vincents Dindzans, a gastroenterologist with Columbia St. Mary’s.

The second main concern would be mayonnaise-based salads that are kept at room temperature. Dr. Dindzans noted that people should avoid eating room temperature egg, tuna, potato, pasta or chicken salad. This is not because of the mayonnaise or other dressing in these, however. “Mayo is just too good a food for whatever germs might have gotten into the food,” he said.

The third concern comes from county fairs, petting zoos and farm visits – animal contact. Children who pet these animals may then put their fingers in their mouths. Older children and adults may forget to wash their hands before eating.

Finally, people are poisoned by polluted water, a problem highlighted by a local E. coli outbreak at a small county fair where runoff from the animal pens polluted the drinking water.

Treatment
Dr. Dindzans recommends that people who have symptoms of food poisoning drink balanced liquids such as Gatorade, Pedialyte, clear juices or ginger ale. “Balanced means it includes some minerals. It also should have some sugar since people retain the electrolytes and minerals better if there is sugar in the liquid,” he said.

Also, people can take Pepto Bismal or a generic version of it to slow down the diarrhea. Immodium also works but the doctor cautions that people must not overdose on this because it can slow down the working of the intestines too much.

Finally, as the symptoms subside, people can add non-greasy foods such as rice, noodles and clear soups back into their diet.

Antibiotics can be used if there is severe cramping, fever or bloody diarrhea but only under the guidance of a physician. A physician’s guidance is particularly important with food poisoning because there are certain types of bacteria that can become more virulent if antibiotics are used; E. coli 0157 is one of these.

The antibiotic connection
Antibiotics increase the risk of food poisoning. The reason for this is that the medication kills the normal, healthy bacteria in the stomach and intestines that would protect against food-borne bugs. Antibiotics also may make the bugs a person inadvertently ingests that much stronger.

“Nowadays almost all beef processed through large meat processing plants are given antibiotics to make them grow larger. Because of this, many of the bacteria living in these animals are already resistant to some antibiotics, so these germs can be particularly nasty,” Dr. Dindzans said.

And what about Milwaukee’s Germanic tradition of raw beef and onions? “Maybe I’d try it, if I was really starving,” Dr. Dindzans concluded.

Avoiding food poisoning
The best way to avoid food poisoning is to use common sense sanitation.
- Wash hands before eating.
- Do not cut meat and vegetables on the same board.
- If you have prepared meat, wash your hands before making the salad.
- Don’t eat hamburgers rare and make sure chicken is cooked very well.
- Finally, keep products cold until just before serving. If you will be saving the leftovers, be sure to put the mayonnaise-based salads back into the refrigerator as soon as the meal is over.

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