Food poisoning and antiemetics

[fakingpatience]

I tried to find some research on this but didn't see anything, so I'm hoping someone here may have some insight!

If you have a patient you believe has food poisoning, and is nauseous/ vomiting, should you still give an antiemetic? Or is it better for the body to allow them to vomit to get rid of the "poison".

[MikeEMT]

I had food poisoning once and doctors in the ER gave me anti vomiting / anti nausea meds.

I would think that the risk of vomiting and diarrhea that often accompanies food poisoning would outweigh the risk of giving those meds.

Keep in mind most causes of food borne illness are Norovirus, E-coli, Salmonella. Once those get in your system the body will take care of it.

If the food poisoning is caused by something else such as maybe a reaction to the food itself, then maybe giving the meds would be bad.

I'm BLS so I can't give these but when I had food poisoning I was given the meds plus an IV drip to keep me hydrated. When the ER discharged me I was also given a prescription for some anti nausea meds.

Hope this helped.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002618/

[Arctickat]

Drug 'em up. Besides, if they've been puking their stomach contents are long gone.

[chbare]

I had food poisoning once and doctors in the ER gave me anti vomiting / anti nausea meds.

I would think that the risk of vomiting and diarrhea that often accompanies food poisoning would outweigh the risk of giving those meds.

Keep in mind most causes of food borne illness are Norovirus, E-coli, Salmonella. Once those get in your system the body will take care of it.

If the food poisoning is caused by something else such as maybe a reaction to the food itself, then maybe giving the meds would be bad.

I'm BLS so I can't give these but when I had food poisoning I was given the meds plus an IV drip to keep me hydrated. When the ER discharged me I was also given a prescription for some anti nausea meds.

Hope this helped.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002618/

Solid post with sound reasoning and a reference to back your assertions up.

[MikeEMT]

Solid post with sound reasoning and a reference to back your assertions up.

Thank you. Unfortunately this is something coming from first hand experience. I will never, ever wish that on anyone. That was the worst experience of my life.

Got me a ride in a ALS unit too.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Yeah, once you get past the first couple of vomiting episodes, the food that was causing the problem is long gone.

On a side note. If you suspect that you were the victim of a food poisoning incident from a restaurant, make sure you save the vomit if you can think of doing so.

The last couple of times that I've either been the victim or had a loved one who was a victim, the insurance company or the parent company of the restaurant said "no stomach contents, no evidence, no money" boy were they surprised when I came back to them with their statement and said "oh you mean the bag of stomach contents that the lab saved for me for just this occasion" The insurance company was only too eager to pay my medical bills. Just food(bad pun) for thought.

[island emt]

Yeah, once you get past the first couple of vomiting episodes, the food that was causing the problem is long gone.

The actual food product may be gone, But the toxins have already entered your system. Delightful things such as salmonella, botulism, e-coli, paralytic shellfish poisoning can last from several days up to months in your body until your immune system wins the fight or the right combination of pharmaceuticals does the toxin in, or it kills you.

There are many recent cases of regional or nationwide outbreaks of "food Poisoning" that have made the news in recent years. Think the spinach from california that sickened thousands with e-coli and caused deaths. the bad beef recalls that required a million pounds of hamburg to be recalled after outbreaks in 30 states. The taco bell "outbreak that affected hundreds. The bad fruit and vege's from south America that were shipped nationwide with botulism, The mad cow scare, the bubonic plague outbreak. the church supper with 65 sick folks hospitalized this past summer. The list goes on & on.

Google is your friend if you want more info on these and many other recent cases.

All of these bacteria, toxins or neurotoxin events affected many and caused thousands of sick people & many deaths among young children, elderly, and imuno-compromised folks.

Don't ever take it as a simple case of a bad burger that will, be better after barfing.

edit for spelling

Edited November 28, 2012 by island emt

[Just Plain Ruff]

The actual food product may be gone, But the toxins have already entered your system. Delightful things such as salmonella, botulism, e-coli, paralytic shellfish poisoning can last from several days up to months in your body until your immune system wins the fight or the right combination of pharmaceuticals does the toxin in, or it kills you.

There are many recent cases of regional or nationwide outbreaks of "food Poisoning" that have made the news in recent years. Think the spinach from california that sickened thousands with e-coli and caused deaths. the bad beef recalls that required a million pounds of hamburg to be recalled after outbreaks in 30 states. The taco bell "outbreak that affected hundreds. The bad fruit and vege's from south America that were shipped nationwide with botulism, The mad cow scare, the bubonic plague outbreak. the church supper with 65 sick folks hospitalized this past summer. The list goes on & on.

Google is your friend if you want more info on these and many other recent cases.

All of these bacteria, toxins or neurotoxin events affected many and caused thousands of sick people & many deaths among young children, elderly, and imuno-compromised folks.

Don't ever take it as a simple case of a bad burger that will, be better after barfing.

edit for spelling

So true, barfing will make you feel better but the toxin is still in your system hence the continued barfing.

What I was trying to say is that if you think it might be food poisoning make sure you keep some of what you puke up for legal purposes if you want your medical bills paid for if it's determined to be the food vendors fault.