STI: When food poisoning can kill

April 7, 2009

When food poisoning can kill

Dangerous if bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause organ failure

 

NOT washing your hands before preparing food or leaving food out in the open for long periods of time can kill.

 

Diarrhoea and vomiting are common symptoms of food poisoning, but in extreme cases, it can lead to organ failure and even death.

 

Most food poisoning is caused by bacterial infections, said Dr Helen Oh, a senior consultant dealing with infectious diseases at Changi General Hospital.

 

Viruses and chemicals are other causes.

 

Unhygienic food preparation or storage methods can contaminate food with bacteria normally found in sewage, soil or unclean water.

 

Some types of food, such as eggs, dairy products and improperly cooked meat, are also more prone to becoming contaminated when left at room temperature over a long period of time.

 

The effects of food poisoning - abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches and fever - may surface hours or even days after eating the unclean food.

 

The effects may persist for about a week, and the water loss often leads to dehydration.

 

In severe cases, the bacteria enter the bloodstream, triggering severe sepsis, which causes the body's immune system to go into overdrive in a bid to combat the invasion.

 

The number of white blood cells, which are mobilised to fight the infection, may either plummet or soar.

 

A group of proteins called cytokines is also secreted in response to infection, and too much of this can cause blood clots and damage organs.

 

Septic shock may set in if blood pressure drops.

 

All this leads to a chain reaction that can cause multiple organs like the heart, kidneys and liver to break down.

 

However, deaths due to food poisoning are rare here.

 

Dr Oh said fewer than five of the hundreds of patients she has treated for food poisoning over the last three decades have died.

 

However, she cautioned that certain groups of people are more vulnerable to food poisoning than others.

 

They include the elderly, the very young, those with a low immunity such as cancer patients and people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart problems.

 

Most victims of food poisoning here, she said, do not fall severely ill.

 

But those hit with more serious symptoms, such as a fever above 38.5 deg C, blood in the stools, or bad diarrhoea and vomiting, should see a doctor immediately, she added.

 

APRIL CHONG