The symptoms of chemical poisoning vary according to the poison
involved; however, most poisons cause:
--Nausea
--Vomiting
--Abdominal pain
--Diarrhea
The onset of symptoms is usually brief and characterized by the
simultaneous occurrence of many cases.
Treatment varies with the particular poison, but usually includes the
following general principles:
-- Evacuating the bulk of the poison from the stomach and intestinal
tract by lavage (irrigation), emetics, and/or cathartics.
--
Administration of appropriate antidotes to neutralize the poison.
--
Eliminating poison already absorbed, by hydration, dialysis, or other
methods.
--
Symptomatic treatment as indicated.
e. Bacterial Intoxication. Two important types of intoxication are caused by
ingesting toxins formed by bacteria acting on foods: staphylococcal intoxication and
botulism.
(1) Staphylococcal intoxication. Almost 80 percent of all reported outbreaks
of gastroenteritis in the United States belong to this group.
Causative agent. The causative agent is a toxin produced by certain
strains of staphylococci.
Signs/symptoms. The illness is characterized by an abrupt and
sometimes violent onset with severe nausea, vomiting, prostration, and sometimes-
severe diarrhea. The symptoms occur shortly after eating contaminated food.
Incubation period. The incubation period is short, average 1 to 6
hours.
Diagnosis. There are no satisfactory laboratory tests that can aid in
the actual diagnosis; however, if specimen of all foods can be obtained for culture, the
finding of staphylococci is suggestive.
Prognosis. The disease is usually mild, rarely producing death.
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