ICS Ltd. Food Poisoning

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Food Poisoning

Home Infection Control Manual Communicable Diseases Food Poisoning

Page updated 30 September 2007

Food Poisoning

Key Points
All patients with diarrhoea must be nursed in Source Isolation Send samples to the laboratory Inform the Infection Control Team Consider whether it is part of an outbreak Remember that C. difficile is common in hospital environment Whereas all antibiotics can cause diarrhoea, some are more likely than others to precipitate pseudomembrarnous colitis, which is a rare but serious infection with a high mortality caused by C. difficile Fro information about food poisoning and outbreak

Key Points

All patients with diarrhoea must be nursed in Source Isolation

Send samples to the laboratory

Inform the Infection Control Team

Consider whether it is part of an outbreak

Remember that C. difficile is common in hospital environment

Whereas all antibiotics can cause diarrhoea, some are more likely than others to precipitate pseudomembrarnous colitis, which is a rare but serious infection with a high mortality caused by C. difficile

Fro information about food poisoning and outbreak

Introduction

The ten most common causes implicated in outbreaks of food poisoning are:

Food prepared too far in advance
Food stored at room temperature, i.e. not under refrigeration
Cooling food too slowly prior to refrigeration
Not reheating food to high enough temperature to destroy food poisoning bacteria and heat labile toxins
The use of cooked food contaminated with food poisoning bacteria
Undercooking meat and meat products (including poultry)
Not thawing frozen meat and poultry for sufficient time
Cross contamination from raw to cooked foods
Storing hot food below 63 C (145 F)
Infected food handlers

If you suspect an outbreak on the ward, read Outbreak Management

References

The Food Safety Act: Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 Department of Health..

Food handlers fitness to work. Guidance for food businesses, enforcement officers and health professionals. 1995 Department of Health, London

Digestive disorders foundation. 2001 Internet site www.bdf.org.uk.

Hobbs B, Roberts D. Food Poisoning and Food Hygiene 6 th Edition 1997 Arnold , London

Infection Control Manual

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Food Poisoning

Introduction

Campylobacter

Salmonella species

Staphylococcus aureus Food Poisoning

Clostridium perfringens

Bacillus cereus

Escherichia coli O157

Acute Diarrhoea Caused by Viruses

Patient Management

Treatment of Acute Gastroenteritis (All Causes)

References