Canned Food Poisoning - Symptoms, First Aid, Treatment, Consequences

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Poisoning with canned food

Dairy, fruit, vegetable, fish and meat canned foods are in high demand. They are tasty, nutritious and, importantly, they can be stored for a long time from the moment of production until the moment the can is opened. It is very convenient to buy them for stock.

Eating poor-quality canned food can cause severe poisoning. Poisoning with canned meat, mushrooms or fish is especially dangerous, since the toxins contained in them can lead to serious damage to the central nervous system, or even death.

Source: depositphotos.com

How canned food poisoning occurs

There are two main reasons for canned food poisoning:

improper storage;
violation of manufacturing technology.

After opening a can of canned food, the sterility of its contents is violated. If the product is not stored correctly, then pathogenic microorganisms (E. coli, staphylococcus, streptococcus, proteus, shigella and others) begin to multiply rapidly in it.

Once in the human gastrointestinal tract, these microorganisms release toxins that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, causing inflammation. Against the background of inflammation, a spasm of smooth muscles occurs, which is felt by the patient as painful cramps in the abdomen.

Under the influence of the waste products of pathogenic microflora, intestinal cells begin to produce reverse fluid production, that is, to release water into the intestinal lumen. This causes frequent and loose stools.

Bacterial toxins irritate nerve receptors in the walls of the stomach, which leads to nausea and vomiting.

With canned food poisoning, general intoxication of the patient is always observed, associated with the absorption of toxins into the blood.

Poisoning with canned food has a slightly different pathogenesis, during the manufacture of which the technological regime was violated. Meat, fish, vegetables may contain clostridium botulism - spores of a dangerous pathogen. It belongs to anaerobic microorganisms and causes the most severe infectious and toxic disease - botulism.

In a sealed package in the absence of air, the causative agent of botulism produces a toxin (botulinum toxin, or botulinum toxin), which is one of the most powerful poisons known today.

Botulinum toxin is not destroyed by hydrochloric acid and gastric acid enzymes. Through the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, blocking the transmission of an electrical impulse from the central nervous system to muscle cells. This causes paralysis of muscles, including respiratory, up to death.

Poisoning symptoms

Poisoning with canned food associated with a violation of the rules for their storage is manifested by the following signs inherent in any food toxicoinfection:

nausea, vomiting;
repeated loose stools;
cramping abdominal pains, which decrease somewhat after defecation;
increased body temperature;
dryness of mucous membranes and skin;
headaches and muscle pains;
severe weakness;
lack of appetite.

The duration of the incubation period for botulism depends on the amount of toxin that has entered the body. It can be several hours or several days. Initially, the symptoms of poisoning are similar to those described above. But in this case, diarrhea is very quickly replaced by constipation. There is flatulence, a feeling of fullness in the stomach.

Neurological symptoms are then added to the usual signs of food poisoning:

muscle weakness;
visual disturbances;
ptosis (drooping) of the eyelids;
nystagmus;
swallowing disorder;
frequent and shallow breathing;
nasal and hoarse voice;
pronounced pallor of the skin.

Source: depositphotos.com

First aid

In case of poisoning with canned food, first aid should be provided as soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear.

Gastric lavage. To do this, the patient is given a few glasses of salt water or a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to drink. Then the fingers irritate the root of the tongue, causing vomiting. You need to do this several times in a row, until the vomit is clean.
Taking intestinal absorbents, such as activated carbon. This drug is best taken in the form of an aqueous suspension (grind the drug at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight, stir in a glass of water and drink). Instead of activated carbon, you can use other drugs with absorbing properties (Enterosgel, Smecta).
Restoring water-salt balance and combating intoxication. For this, the patient is often given small portions to drink Rehydron's solution, mineral water without gas, weak black tea without sugar.

When is medical attention required?

In case of poisoning with canned food, even if the disease is mild, it is recommended to consult a doctor. The fact is that the symptoms of common food poisoning and botulism at the onset of the disease manifest themselves in almost the same way. But with botulism, neurological symptoms, muscle weakness, and respiratory failure develop rapidly in the future. If the patient is not provided with timely medical care, death can occur.

In case of poisoning with canned food, proceeding as a food toxicoinfection, doctors usually prescribe antibacterial and antidiarrheal agents, enzyme preparations, intravenous saline solutions, vitamin therapy.

Treatment of botulism begins immediately after the patient is admitted to the hospital. To do this, he is injected with anti-botulinum serum for several days. The frequency of administration of serum and its dose are determined by the severity of the disease.

Also shown is the conduct of antibacterial and detoxification therapy.

With an increase in respiratory failure, it may be necessary to transfer the patient to artificial ventilation.

Possible consequences

In case of poisoning with canned food caused by causative agents of botulism, the most severe complications are respiratory and cardiac arrest, so patients are treated in the intensive care unit. With the timely administration of the therapeutic serum, the patient usually recovers, albeit slowly. The consequences of botulism can be diseases of the respiratory system, myositis, parotitis.

Poisoning with canned food, proceeding according to the type of food toxicoinfection, is often complicated during the recovery period by various disorders of the digestive function. Correctly organized medical nutrition helps to cope with them. Recommended table No. 4 according to Pevzner.

Prevention

In order for the use of canned food not to lead to negative consequences, the following rules should be followed:

you can not eat canned foods that have expired;
after opening the iron can, the contents should be transferred to a glass container and stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day;
"Bomb" cans, that is, cans with swollen lids should be discarded;
canned food with an unusual smell, color, consistency should not be eaten.

Also, do not cook and eat canned food of long-term storage from meat, fish and mushrooms on your own. Their manufacture is allowed only under the condition of leaky closing of the cans, with subsequent storage in the refrigerator.

Considering that botulinum toxin is destroyed when exposed to high temperatures, it is advisable to boil the canned product for 20 minutes before eating.

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Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author

Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.

Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!