Poisoning with red caviar
Red caviar is not only a delicacy, but also a healthy food product - it is rich in protein, trace elements and vitamins. Eating caviar in food helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system and increase immunity, has a beneficial effect on vision. Red caviar contains a large amount of iodine, so it improves the function of the thyroid gland. Since this product is also rich in B vitamins, nutritionists recommend it to those who experience frequent nervous stress and knowledge workers.
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However, due to the high content of table salt, red caviar should not be eaten by people suffering from kidney disease, arterial hypertension, and obesity. It should also be eliminated from the diet of young children.
It is possible to speak about the beneficial properties of red caviar only in cases when the product is of high quality and has been stored correctly. When eating red caviar of dubious quality, severe poisoning is possible.
How does red caviar poisoning happen?
The main causes of red caviar poisoning are:
- salting initially spoiled salmon caviar;
- violation of sanitary norms and technological requirements in the production of caviar;
- violation of transportation and storage conditions;
- eating a product that has expired.
All these factors can contribute to the infection of red caviar with a special bacterium - Bacilluscereus. Its unique feature is its ability to remain vital even in very salty environments.
Once in the gastrointestinal tract, this bacillus begins to produce enterotoxin, which causes damage to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, which increases vascular permeability. As a result, epithelial cells actively release water into the lumen of the stomach and small intestine, which ultimately leads to vomiting, and then diarrhea.
Poisoning symptoms
The incubation period for red caviar poisoning is quite short and is measured in hours.
The disease begins acutely with the onset of abdominal pain and nausea. Body temperature in most cases does not rise.
After a short time, the nausea is replaced by profuse repeated vomiting. A few hours after the onset of the disease, diarrhea also occurs. With the urge to defecate, abdominal pain intensifies, and after a bowel movement, it subside somewhat.
Symptoms of acute gastroenteritis caused by red caviar poisoning persist for up to two days. Most often, the disease occurs in mild to moderate forms. Severe forms, accompanied by significant dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, are extremely rare.
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First aid for poisoning
If signs of red caviar poisoning appear, the patient urgently needs to provide first aid. The measures are aimed at the prompt removal of pathogenic microorganisms and toxic products of their vital activity from the body.
- Perform gastric lavage. The patient should drink about a liter of warm water, and then irritate the root of the tongue with his fingers. Such actions lead to vomiting. It is advisable to repeat this action several times until the appearance of clean wash water.
- Drink any drug that has an absorbent effect, such as activated carbon. Such agents absorb toxins contained in the stomach and intestines, thereby reducing the severity of the clinical manifestations of caviar poisoning. The dose of activated carbon is calculated based on the weight of the victim - 1 tablet for every 10 kg. So, a person weighing 60 kg should take 6 tablets at the same time.
With frequent vomiting and profuse diarrhea, the body quickly loses fluid, and with it electrolytes, which causes disturbances in the water-electrolyte balance of varying severity. To prevent their development, the patient should be given Rehydron's solution from the very onset of the disease. It should be drunk in very small sips and often, such a drinking regimen does not increase nausea and vomiting. If you don't have Regidron, plain water without gas or lightly brewed unsweetened black tea will do.
When is medical attention required?
Usually the symptoms of gastroenteritis in case of red caviar poisoning are not very pronounced, and the disease goes away on its own within 1-2 days. Therefore, the vast majority of patients do not seek medical help. But this is not always the case. The need for medical attention arises in the following situations:
- poisoning with red caviar occurred in a child, a pregnant woman or an elderly person;
- symptoms of poisoning persist for more than two days;
- the appearance of severe muscle weakness, lethargy, apathy;
- an increase in signs of dehydration (dry skin, intense thirst, dark urine).
Medical treatment for caviar poisoning includes rehydration and antibiotic therapy. The appointment of Colibacterin is justified. This drug promotes the early restoration of normal intestinal microflora and fights against various opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms that are not physiological for the human body.
Possible consequences
If, in case of poisoning with red caviar, a severe gastroenteric syndrome develops, this can cause severe dehydration, up to the development of hypovolemic shock, that is, a condition requiring urgent and intensive treatment in the intensive care unit of an infectious diseases hospital.
In other cases, red caviar poisoning passes without any serious consequences.
Prevention
To avoid poisoning with red caviar, you should purchase only a high-quality, factory-made product. This is best done in large stores, preferring hermetically sealed cans. When buying red caviar by weight, it is impossible to be sure that it was stored correctly and that its shelf life has not expired.
Before consuming red caviar, take a close look at it. In a quality product, the eggs should not have dents. The presence of cloudy sediment or mold in the jar is unacceptable. Dried, sticky and cloudy eggs, which, when pressed, smear and do not burst - all these are signs of a spoiled and expired product.
Unscrupulous manufacturers, in order to hide the signs of spoilage of red caviar, can add vegetable oil or glycerin to the jar. Therefore, if a jar of caviar contains a large volume of liquid, then the product is most likely not of high quality.
When buying red caviar, you should also pay attention to the composition indicated by the manufacturer. If the composition contains substances such as sodium benzoate, urotropine or sorbic acid, it is better to refuse the purchase. A quality product must consist exclusively of salmon caviar and table salt.
It is equally important to properly store red caviar for the prevention of poisoning:
- after opening the iron can, the caviar should be immediately transferred to a glass dish, covered with several layers of clean gauze on top, abundantly moistened with vegetable oil;
- store opened caviar in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
Red caviar with an unusual taste and smell should never be eaten.
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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!
