First aid for pill poisoning in children. Effective medications for child poisoning: advice on choosing drugs. Folk remedies for poisoning

We often leave our pills in a visible place, forgetting that we have them in the house. Small child. What to do if your baby swallows adult pills, says pediatrician 20th Moscow ambulance substation Dmitry ANYUSHIN.

Grandparents, fathers and mothers sometimes carelessly leave boxes and bottles of their medicines on the bedside table, on the coffee table, or even forget them in the nursery. And they don’t think at all about the fact that most medicinal substances in large doses are nothing more than poisons. When they enter the baby’s body in quantities intended for adults, or even in much larger quantities, they cause serious poisoning.

Most often, children aged from one to 5 years are accidentally poisoned by medications intended for older family members.

Of course, it’s good if you immediately understand what kind of medicine the child was poisoned with - speed and effectiveness depend on this medical care. But often a mother in despair does not even suspect what got into the baby’s mouth. In this case, you need to try to calm down, call an ambulance, and before it arrives, carefully examine the baby and ask him if he can speak. Some symptoms can be used to determine what poisoned the child.

If a child staggers while walking, complains of dizziness, dry mouth, is lethargic and weak, falls asleep while walking, then one can suspect poisoning with clonidine, a drug that reduces arterial pressure. These tablets are sweet; children often mistake them for candy or vitamins and pop a whole handful of them into their mouths. At the same time, their blood pressure drops sharply and their pulse slows. The effect of clonidine is also indicated by the narrowing of the pupil - it becomes like a dot. Before the doctors arrive, if the child has not lost consciousness, you need to rinse his stomach and try to induce vomiting by pressing with a finger or a spoon on the root of the tongue. Give him activated carbon at the rate of 1 g per kilogram of weight. Similar symptoms occur if the baby is given too much naphthyzine when a runny nose is being treated. You need to be careful with these drops and never instill adult naphthyzine into your child if the pharmacy does not have a child's one. Unlike clonidine poisoning, the skin and mucous membranes during naphthyzine poisoning remain moist.

In this case, the same measures will help - gastric lavage, taking activated charcoal. After this, you need to call an ambulance. Children often suffer from caffeine poisoning, which is contained in caffeamine, citramone, and triad tablets, so often used by adults for headaches. The first sign of such poisoning is unusual agitation of the child. He may complain of tinnitus, he feels nauseous, and his heart beats very quickly. In severe cases, there may be seizures.

At the first alarming signs, it is necessary to call an ambulance, and before the ambulance arrives, if the child remains conscious, rinse the stomach with water and give activated charcoal. If convulsions begin, first of all make sure that there is access to oxygen in the respiratory tract: insert a spoon wrapped in a handkerchief or bandage into your mouth. If vomiting begins, you need to constantly clear the mouth of vomit so that it cannot block the windpipe.
When there is old man, he often takes cardiac glycosides, such as digitalis and lily of the valley, digoxin and digitoxin. A child may accidentally try them to “play grandma.” In this case, he begins to complain of nausea, there may be vomiting, convulsions and loss of consciousness. It is necessary to call an ambulance, and before it arrives, rinse the stomach and give activated charcoal.

Children are often poisoned by belladonna preparations, which are used as sedatives - belloid, bellataminal, bellaspon. In this case, the child complains of a headache, dry mouth, and asks to drink more often than usual, although he can hardly swallow. The pupils are unusually dilated, the face turns red. He may develop a speech disorder. There is double vision, unusual excitement appears, there may even be hallucinations and delirium, convulsions with loss of consciousness. In this case, it is important to ensure access of oxygen to the respiratory tract by turning your head to the side and pressing your tongue with a spoon wrapped in a clean scarf. If the child stops breathing, then you need to immediately give him artificial respiration. If he is conscious, you need to rinse the stomach. And, of course, immediately call an ambulance.

Poisoning with sleeping pills, such as phenobarbital, is no less dangerous. At first, the child begins to behave strangely: he staggers as if drunk, has difficulty understanding what is being said to him, and almost cannot hear. His temperature drops, his hands and feet are cold, his pupils narrow, he has difficulty swallowing and breathing. In severe cases, the child loses consciousness and may have pulmonary and cerebral edema. If consciousness is maintained, the stomach should be rinsed with a weakly alkaline solution. baking soda(1 teaspoon of soda per glass of water), give laxative salt, activated charcoal.

It happens that a child swallows several crystals of potassium permanganate. This is very dangerous, as it causes burns to the esophagus and stomach. The child complains about sharp pain in the mouth, in the throat, in the stomach, he begins to vomit. It is necessary to remove crystals from the mouth by rinsing the mouth with a stream of cold water, then rinsing the stomach.

All these dangerous situations can be avoided if adults put away their medications and keep them out of the baby's reach. Indeed, in this case, one has to pay a very high price for absent-mindedness and forgetfulness - the mortality rate of children from poisoning ranks second after death from injuries.

Drug poisoning occurs in children of all ages, but it occurs especially often in preschool children. Restless toddlers cannot indifferently pass by bright tablets and capsules that imprudent adults leave in an accessible place. Poisoning children with drugs always requires radical methods help.

Signs of drug poisoning

If a child has taken an excessive dose of a drug, it does not matter whether symptoms appear immediately or over time. A number of drugs do not cause reactions immediately after an overdose; symptoms appear later. The baby must be taken to the hospital as soon as it is noticed that he has swallowed medications.

The doctor must show the packaging of the medicine - this will allow him to quickly decide on the treatment method.

Despite a large number of medications, the nature of the poisoning can be judged by its clinical manifestations. The main symptoms are:

• change in facial expression – uncontrollable facial twitching of muscles;
• changes in the skin and mucous membranes;
• coma;
• delusions, hallucinations;
• convulsions;
• muscle spasms;
• lack of coordination;
• change in pupil size;
• blurred vision;
• heartbeat disorder;
• a sharp decline or increased blood pressure;
• increased salivation;
• vomiting with or without blood;
• loose stools;
• change in urine color.

In case of drug poisoning, you need to act quickly. You can determine that your baby has eaten too much medicine by characteristic features– there is an open container for medicines in the room, and the baby is dirty with the remains of medicine.

Stages of poisoning

Doctors distinguish three stages of the general condition of children with drug poisoning:

1. Mild degree– consciousness becomes confused, the child falls into deep dream, the pupils become smaller and do not respond to light, the eyes twitch involuntarily, and coordination is impaired.
2. Average degree - above all mild symptoms stages, reflexes - swallowing and coughing - are impaired. Acute renal failure begins. The baby falls into a superficial coma.
3. Severe degree - the baby does not react to pain at all, all reflexes are completely absent. Breathing may be shallow or completely absent. The pressure drops significantly, tachycardia develops. The temperature may rise or fall relative to normal levels. The child falls into a comatose state.

Causes of drug overdose

There are several reasons why a child may have drug intoxication:

• storing medications in places accessible to children;
• incorrect dosage of medications;
• Attempting suicide is relevant for adolescence.

First aid

First aid for drug poisoning consists of a number of actions, the second are described below:

• If the child is in unconscious, without signs of life, perform respiratory-pulmonary resuscitation.
• The baby must be placed on his side - this prevents vomit from entering the respiratory tract and the tongue sticking.
• Vomiting is artificially induced if the baby is conscious for more than half an hour. If about an hour has passed since the moment of poisoning, then there is no point in inducing vomiting!
• If more than an hour has passed since the poisoning, you need to give the patient a laxative or rinse the intestines with an enema.

Colon lavage is performed with water only at room temperature. Otherwise, toxins will be more absorbed into the bloodstream.

• After gastric lavage and vomiting, give any sorbents that are available at home. This may be the familiar activated carbon.
• After taking sorbents, you can give cool, clean water.

While one of the adults begins to provide emergency care, the second must call a doctor. His future health depends on how quickly the little patient is taken to the hospital.

Medicines that most often cause poisoning in children

You can be poisoned by any medicine, but doctors identify a group of drugs that children are poisoned with most often.

• Contraceptive hormonal drugs - poisoning from birth control pills in children in medical practice occurs all the time, first aid consists of rinsing the stomach with plenty of water and taking activated charcoal.

You cannot drink mineral carbonated water to your baby!

Any medicine from this list helps with certain diseases, but only in the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Uncontrolled use of all medications leads to serious consequences.

Consequences of drug poisoning in children

Poisoning children with drugs does not always have health consequences. If quantity medications taken was small and the help turned out to be prompt, then often this unpleasant incident is simply forgotten. However, if the child took a lot of medicine and help was not provided on time, then the following troubles may occur:

• damage to the nervous system, frequent seizures and confusion;
• scars on the stomach and gastric bleeding - mainly caused by a group of iron-containing drugs;
• persistent allergic reactions;
• chronic jaundice;
• disruption of the urinary system.

How to prevent drug poisoning in children

• Before starting a course of treatment, parents should consult a doctor and carefully read the instructions for the drug.
• Do not give your baby medications that have expired.
• If old medications are disposed of, it is done so that children cannot take them.
• All medications are stored out of the reach of children and in their original packaging.
• You cannot call medications by names that are attractive to your baby, such as jam or honey.
• Children should not be given medications in adult dosages.

In general, it is advisable for parents not to take their medications in front of their children; children love to copy and repeat everything after adults.

otravlenye.ru

Medicine for children against poisoning: a review of effective and safe drugs

Every parent is horrified to discover an empty bottle of medicine or open dishwashing liquid. Children are very inquisitive, and it is not uncommon for them to see a bright liquid and mistake it for a sweet dessert. Sometimes parents themselves unknowingly bring the baby to a state of intoxication. This usually happens due to improper self-medication or non-compliance with the dosage of medications.

Every parent should be prepared for such situations and know what medications to give their child in case of poisoning. Some of them are more different strong action, others are suitable for minor ailments.

Types of drugs

The main purpose of the medicine for children with poisoning and diarrhea is to alleviate the intoxication syndrome and restore lost body functions, returning it to a normal state. The drugs should quickly eliminate vomiting and diarrhea, as well as remove toxic products and harmful bacteria from the baby’s digestive system. At the same time, it is important that the microflora of the intestines and stomach is not damaged.

If a child is poisoned, you should immediately consult a doctor. After examination, the specialist will decide which drug is suitable for this type of poisoning. Today there are several pharmacological groups medicines for children against poisoning. You can get rid of unpleasant symptoms by:

• Rehydrants. These compositions help restore the balance of water and salts in the baby’s body.
• Sorbents. This group of medications is prescribed by a doctor if a child has been poisoned by strong toxic drugs. Sorbents contribute faster cleansing Not only gastrointestinal tract, but also blood flow.
• Antiemetics. These medications help relieve nausea and vomiting.
• Antidiarrheal drugs. These medications are prescribed if the baby has been suffering from diarrhea for a long time.
• Antibiotics. These anti-poisoning medications for children destroy harmful bacteria or significantly reduce their vital activity.
• Painkillers. They are used only if, in addition to the standard symptoms of poisoning, the child experiences severe pain in the abdominal area.
• Antipyretics. Drugs in this category help reduce fever if poisoning is accompanied by elevated temperature bodies.
• Enzyme preparations. They help improve digestion.
• Probiotics and prebiotics. Such medications help restore intestinal microflora and improve the digestion process.

Recovery

Because of severe diarrhea or vomiting, the baby’s body becomes dehydrated. Therefore, when deciding what medicine to give to their beloved child in case of child poisoning, parents are advised to pay attention to several drugs that restore the water-salt balance.

With the help of "Regidron" you can stop vomiting and diarrhea. It is recommended to take the product before full recovery body functions.

"Glucosolan" contains only a salt mixture and glucose. This product is great for helping with dehydration.

For intestinal infection

If the baby suffers from severe diarrhea, the doctor may prescribe a drug antibacterial action. In some situations, even antimicrobial therapy is required. However, adults are more likely to face such problems than children.

Gastrointestinal pathologies may develop against the background of diarrhea, so do not treat diarrhea too carelessly. In this situation, experts recommend taking Budesonide or Prednisolone. These medications are classified as glucocorticoids.

Sorbents

During the process of intoxication, the baby’s body suffers from toxins that gradually begin to be absorbed into the blood, which can provoke numerous intraorganic abnormalities. To prevent this, it is recommended to purchase medicine for children against sorbent poisoning. Such means include:

• "Enterosgel". This is a paste for oral administration that has a gentle effect on the mucous surfaces of the intestines. In addition, this composition envelops the walls of the young stomach, due to which it significantly reduces pain syndrome.

• "Polyphepan". This is another natural remedy. It is made of wood. This medicine for children against poisoning is very effective. It removes toxins well and also protects the baby’s body from strong chemical irritants.
• "Smecta". This adsorbent is completely natural. If you give the product to a baby, then polyvalent compounds are formed in his body, including mucus, thanks to which the removal of toxins will be carried out much faster.

If we are talking about anti-poisoning medications for children over one year of age, then drugs of this type are considered the best. They can be given to babies earlier if dosage recommendations are strictly followed. For example, if we are talking about a baby, then one sachet of Smecta per day is enough for him.

Antiemetics

With such poisoning, the food that the baby has consumed begins to be rejected. Therefore, during such attacks, it is important to reduce peristalsis and stop the production of a large volume of gastric juice. The best medicines for poisoning and vomiting for children include:

• "Cerucal". This drug helps to quickly get rid of intoxication. If a child has severe poisoning, then in order for the drug to act faster, it is recommended to administer it subcutaneously. In this case, the effect will be in 10-15 minutes.
• "Motilak". To stop vomiting, you need to empty your stomach faster. This tool copes with this task perfectly. After some time, the child feels noticeable relief.

Antidiarrheal drugs

Very often, during intoxication, the baby suffers from severe diarrhea. However, you should not try to get rid of diarrhea right away. The point is that it is in a natural way removing toxins from the human body. If you forcefully stop diarrhea, this can lead to stagnation of harmful components.

However, when diarrhea does not stop and parents begin to fear that the baby is becoming dehydrated, there is no need to hesitate. What medications should children take for this type of poisoning? There are several effective drugs that are recommended by experts:

• "Loperamide". This remedy slows down the removal of feces from the gastrointestinal tract. However, it is worth considering that this drug should not be given to children under the age of six.

• "Trimebutin". This antispasmodic helps stop severe diarrhea. It is noteworthy that this product has double action. This means that Trimebutin can not only inhibit peristalsis, but, on the contrary, stimulate it.

These funds are prescribed only as a last resort. If we are talking about medications for poisoning of a child aged 3 years or younger, then taking such drugs is not always justified. As a rule, experts prescribe them only if the baby suffers from a mixed toxic infection. This means that not only toxins have formed in the victim’s body, but also various pathogens have been introduced. In this case, the intestinal microflora suffers greatly. In addition, there is a risk that the baby will develop additional pathologies. Therefore, sometimes it is better to give your child antibiotics rather than wait for more serious complications.

The most popular drugs of this type include:

• "Enterofuril." This product is quite different wide range actions. However, it is most often prescribed for intoxication due to consumption of low-quality or spoiled food. This food poisoning medicine for children is sold in the form of a suspension. It is much easier for kids to drink than large capsules.
• "Furazolidone". This drug belongs to the nitrofuran series. As a rule, it is prescribed if the patient suffers from gram-negative bacteria. The product also helps get rid of some types of fungi. However, this medicine is only available in tablets, so taking it may be difficult.

• "Nifuroxazide". This product is distinguished by its antibacterial and antibacterial properties. The doctor selects the dosage of the drug on an individual basis to try to minimize its negative impact on the child’s body. This medicine can destroy most types of bacteria. The drug is sold in the form of tablets and suspensions for children.

Painkillers and antipyretics

It often happens that when a child is poisoned, a fever rises and pain appears. If we talk about what medicines to give a child for this type of poisoning, then for unpleasant sensations in the abdomen the baby can be given “No-Shpu”, “Drotaverine” or “Papaverine”.

If a child has a fever, you can lower the fever with Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Nurofen or aspirin.

Products with enzymes

In some situations, signs of intoxication indicate that the child's stomach cannot properly digest food. This happens due to a violation of the intestinal microflora or in a situation where the baby’s body does not produce the necessary enzymes well. In this case, it is necessary to restore the functions of the body. It is better if such drugs are prescribed by the attending physician.

Among the products in this group, the most popular are:

• "Mezim." This remedy is considered quite effective. The drug helps speed up the breakdown of food entering the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, Mezim reliably protects the cavities of internal organs from negative influence of hydrochloric acid.

• "Festal". This product includes a fairly wide range of enzymes, necessary for the body. As a rule, only one dose of the drug is enough to improve the functioning of the internal systems. If you take the drug too often, it can negatively affect the functioning of the pancreas. You should be especially careful when it comes to children.
• "Pancreatin". Accelerates the process of digestion of the main components of food and helps reduce stress on the pancreas. Has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Probiotics and prebiotics

Products in this category have a milder effect. They are also necessary for restoring intestinal microflora. As a rule, they are prescribed if, against the background of poisoning or frequent diarrhea The patient develops dysbacteriosis. Such drugs help restore normal functioning of body systems.

The most effective prebiotics are considered to be “Hilak forte”, “Lysozyme” and “Lactofiltrum”. Probiotics include Probifor, Linex and other products. Also, similar beneficial components can be found in some food products.

Finally

Before giving your child any medicine, it is recommended to consult a specialist. Some drugs can cause individual intolerance and will only worsen the situation. Therefore, it is not worth the risk.

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Drug poisoning in children: what is dangerous and what to do?

Statistics on drug poisoning among children indicate that the peak occurs in winter period. Firstly, children often sit at home and are frankly bored, and parents lose vigilance regarding their whereabouts dangerous means. Besides, in transition period And in cold weather, children get sick more often, and drugs are also used more actively than in summer. The sweet taste of syrup or vitamins that were previously given to the child, interesting bottles of nasal sprays and the desire to imitate adults, playing “doctor and hospital”, sometimes lead to disastrous consequences. What to do if drug poisoning is suspected, what should parents do?

Attention, vitamins!

The carelessness of parents sometimes amazes doctors. If relatively serious drugs like sleeping pills or heart medications, they hide vitamins and mineral supplements, various dietary supplements and homeopathic granules may be in easy accessibility for little hands.

Moreover, parents often themselves create the conditions for the formation of poisoning, sometimes even with their own hands. During the period of colds and acute respiratory viral infections, children are given loading doses ascorbic acid, often supplementing them with double or triple doses of multivitamins, mineral supplements in combination with fortified foods.

Remember, vitamins and mineral supplements are also medicines, and if the dosage exceeds the preventive dosage, these substances can also be poisoned! Particularly dangerous in terms of poisoning are those under three years of age and preparations of fat-soluble vitamins. If B vitamins or ascorbic acid are soluble in water, will be actively excreted by the kidneys, and the manifestations of poisoning will not be so severe and strong, then vitamins A and D are soluble in fats. This means that the kidneys will not be able to remove their excess, and the accumulation of these substances threatens with serious intoxication and irreversible consequences for many organs, including a detailed outcome. In addition, toxic doses of fat-soluble vitamins are not much higher than therapeutic and prophylactic doses; preparations of these vitamins are quite concentrated. Therefore, they are dosed in drops, strictly based on age and weight.

Dangerous minerals!

Preparations containing minerals are no less dangerous. These are calcium, magnesium and iron, which are necessary for the growth and development of the baby. Other mineral supplements are not so relevant, as they are usually included in multivitamins. But preparations of these minerals can be prescribed additionally, in particular, iron for the treatment of anemia. And it is this drug that can be deadly in case of overdose, given that it is produced in the form of syrups with a pleasant taste. Calcium supplements are not so dangerous if they are not combined with vitamin D, but they can significantly damage the kidneys for the rest of your life. Therefore, mineral supplements should also be kept out of the reach of children!

There are different types of poisoning

The most dangerous drugs are those that have a quick and powerful effect, especially those used by the older generation. Given the forgetfulness of older people, you need to be doubly careful. It is prohibited to store drugs in cabinets, on shelves and tables, where drugs can become accessible to children. Bright shells and their sweet taste will attract the attention of an inquisitive little one who tries everything to its teeth. And given that children see how their grandmother or grandfather literally drank the drugs by the handful, they repeat after him. This leads to tragedy!

Parents, remember, any drugs that were not prescribed by a doctor, and even those that were prescribed but taken in high doses, can become dangerous for children! A threat to life arises when using any form of the drug - be it tablets, syrups, solutions or powders, and the effect largely depends on the amount of the drug taken. The more pleasant the taste and smell, the more colorful the packaging and the brighter the pill, the more likely it is that the child will take a lot of the product.

What poisonings are the most severe and dangerous?

This question is difficult to answer, since there are drugs that immediately produce a toxic effect, but then the consequences are completely removable, and there are those that initially give not very pronounced symptoms, but threaten later irreversible changes in the internal organs. Therefore, any poisoning is dangerous, and they require a detailed examination, testing and therapeutic and detoxification measures!

Manifestations of poisoning by many drugs in their initial stages may be nonspecific. The most common are lesions of the nervous system with excitement (delirium, convulsions) or inhibition of functions (stupor, coma), disorders of the digestive system, as well as sudden changes in the composition of the baby’s blood, damage to the liver or kidneys, as the main excretory and detoxifying organs of the child. In many ways, clinical manifestations depend on the type of drug, but one way or another, digestion and nervous system reactions are almost always affected.

Tablets or syrups, which is more dangerous?

If we're talking about different forms drugs, it is difficult to say which forms of drugs are more dangerous, it depends on the type active substance and quantity received. However, if the baby has access to the medicines in the first aid kit, then usually the syrup is tasted alone, less often the child has a desire to try many solutions (and it is more difficult to open them). But with tablets everything is more dangerous, since they are easily removed from the package, they are bright and, mistaking them for candy, the baby can swallow several tablets at once different actions. In this case, the severity of the manifestations will depend not only on the actual amount taken pills. It will be important that they have mutually influencing effects, sometimes increasing the toxic effect. Both children's and "adult" types of drugs are dangerous. For example, antitussives can lead to depression of the respiratory center. This threatens loss of consciousness and the development of coma with fatal. If you find drugs in the hands of a child or find empty bottles of them, you need to act immediately.

First aid and further actions

If there are real reasons to believe that the baby could drink syrups or swallow tablets, a consistent action plan has been developed similar situations, which must be followed. First of all, put aside panic and bickering about who is to blame; first of all, you need to provide first aid to the child.

You need to call an ambulance immediately, even if it’s just a few tablets (especially adult medications). The reaction to these drugs can be unpredictable.

Before the doctors arrive, you need to give the child a lot to drink (if he is conscious). This should be boiled warm water with a volume of at least 1-2 liters, depending on age (if the child refuses to drink, we use a syringe without a needle to pour the liquid into the mouth). If there is no boiled water, you can use any water, even from the tap, we are talking about saving life and health. It is important that the amount of the drug that has not yet been absorbed in the stomach is reduced. Then, after taking the liquid, vomiting is provoked by irritation of the reflex zones of the oral cavity (two fingers into the baby’s mouth, intense pressure on the root of the tongue above the basin). Vomiting will release any remaining medication that has not yet been absorbed, as well as all the contents of the stomach.

If the child loses consciousness or is prostrated, it is prohibited to induce vomiting.

You need to rinse your stomach with clean water until one vomit comes out of the stomach. pure water. That is, they gave the child liquid, he drank it, induced vomiting, emptied his stomach, and gave him water again. Repeat this several times. Vomit should be left for toxicological analysis, this is important in analyzing the situation.

After washing the stomach, the child needs to be given sorbents - this can be smecta, enterosgel, activated carbon or any product that is available at home. They need to be dissolved in water and given to drink. It is forbidden to give the child milk as a sorbent; you cannot feed the child any foods, this will enhance the absorption of drugs into the blood. Additionally, giving an enema may be useful if you do not know exactly when the medicine was taken.

Important to remember!!!

It is important for parents to know that even if the child says that he did not take the medicine, he feels well and there are no signs of poisoning, and you do not have enough solution or tablets in the first aid kit, where the baby has access, if the medicines are lying on the floor and you do not know no matter how many tablets there were, you still need to call an ambulance and examine the child. The medicine may not yet be absorbed or its effect may be delayed. And it's important to start therapeutic measures At once.

The doctors who arrived at the scene, after providing emergency assistance, hospitalized the child. It is important to show them the drug packages and give them with them, this will help toxicologists in further assistance in the hospital.

It would not be amiss to remind once again that all medications in the house should be stored in places inaccessible to children - in locked drawers, closed top shelves of the refrigerator or cabinet.

Take the test Do you understand medications? Only by answering the questions honestly will you get a reliable result.

medaboutme.ru

Medicines for poisoning - Medicines for the treatment of food poisoning, first aid, advice from doctors

Every tenth person on the planet suffers annually from poor-quality food containing nitrates and pesticides, or expired food.

Death from food poisoning occurs in 30% of cases. Indicators among the adult population reach 420 thousand, the remaining 125 thousand people are children under 5 years of age.

Lack of basic knowledge of what medications to take for food poisoning, and untimely treatment for medical care- the main causes of severe intoxication.

What can you poison yourself with?

In 85% of cases, microorganisms are the main cause of food poisoning.

Violation of production and processing, transportation and storage, as well as non-compliance with veterinary and sanitary standards entails the sale of already spoiled food. Severe food intoxication can be caused by substances secreted by microbes.

Staphylococci. Bacteria are immune to change external environment. They multiply unhindered at temperatures from 20 to 37°C, and can withstand heating up to 80°C for up to 1 hour. When frozen, they do not lose their viability for up to 30 days, at room temperature - 4 months.

Staphylococcus, poisoning food such as cottage cheese, sour cream, confectionery with custard, raw minced meat and boiled meat, causes great harm to humans.

Clostridium botulinum bacillus, which produces powerful botulinum toxin. Calls dangerous disease botulism. The ideal temperature regime for the formation and development of spores should be no higher than 28-35°C. It enters the body through canned food in the form of already poisoned marinades, pickles and meat products, fresh garlic and natural honey.

Microscopic molds are another cause of food poisoning. They manifest themselves as diseases called mycotoxicosis.

Rich in starch and vegetable oil food, legumes and grains, peanuts, rice and peas become a source of poisonous toxins. Thanks to control over the sale of agricultural crops, the amount of mushrooms in flour and cereals is absolutely safe for humans. Rarely above 0.05%.

Non-microbial food poisoning affects up to 15% of the population.

They occur if you consume conditionally edible or poisonous mushrooms, seeds and plants, seed kernels, raw sprouted potatoes and beans, fish roe, chemicals and harmful substances such as nitrates and pesticides.

Signs of food poisoning

The duration of intake and the concentration of toxic substances in the body influence the manifestation of the first, sudden symptoms of food poisoning in adults and children.

First of all, damage to the stomach and intestines is observed, which is accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, severe abdominal pain and cramps, mild chills and malaise.

Food intoxication medium degree severity is expressed by a slight increase in body temperature from 37.2 to 38°C, diarrhea up to 20 times a day. The vomiting becomes stronger, the poisoned person is constantly tormented by nausea, unbearable and acute attacks of pain in the stomach. Sometimes seizures and low blood pressure may occur.

Adults with severe intoxication experience dizziness, muscle and joint pain, and difficulty breathing. The fever intensifies, the temperature is more than 38°C. Sometimes - less than 36°C.

Heavy food poisoning in a child it can provoke epileptic seizures, excessive tearfulness and nervousness.

The daily number of bowel movements increases, and dehydration begins. The pulse is weak, the mouth is dry and thirsty, and the blood pressure is low.

First aid for poisoning at home

Don't rush to buy expensive medications. Good treatment can be carried out with the means available in home medicine cabinet. Remember the basic, but very important list of medications and tablets needed, first of all, for food poisoning.

Potassium permanganate is the best antiseptic among powders to flush the stomach and neutralize food toxins at home. Before taking potassium permanganate, it must be properly diluted. For a liter of warm boiled water, 5 small crystals are enough. Drink until you induce vomiting.

A cheap but effective drug for combating poisoning can be called activated carbon in tablets. A safe remedy for vomiting, flatulence and diarrhea. Adsorbs and neutralizes chemical poisons and compounds, toxins of bacterial, plant, and animal origin that contain spoiled food. In case of severe poisoning, take 15-20 pieces at once.

For abdominal pain and intestinal colic, even children can drink No-shpu. It treats spasms, reduces intestinal activity, and reduces pain. A single dose of no more than 10 mg is recommended; up to 12 years of age, the maximum dosage is 20 mg. The number of receptions per day is 2 times. For treatment, adults need 80 mg of the drug in the morning, lunch and evening.

For poisoning and food infection complicated by fever and fever, take cheap drug strong anti-inflammatory effect - Ibuprofen. Children from 6 to 12 years old are prescribed a single dose of 1 tablet. An adult takes 3-4 capsules.

It is mandatory to consult a specialist on how to treat children under 6 years of age.

What medications to take for poisoning

It is impossible to cope with severe intoxication without medications. Required complex treatment several drugs. In order not to be mistaken about what medications to take in case of poisoning for an adult, carefully study the instructions and names of the best sorbents in the form of powder for cleansing the body: “Enterosorb” and “Polysorb”.

It is more difficult to choose effective ones medicines young patients. Such powders and sorbents for poisoning for children as “Smecta” and “Diosmectite” help well.

Severe dehydration and restoration of electrolyte and water-salt balance can be treated with Gastrolit tablets and powders such as Regidron, Hydrovit, Citraglucosolan.

Treatment for food poisoning is carried out with potent antiemetic drugs: Cerucal, Reglan, Emeset.

To normalize digestion best medicine- enzymes. To improve the functioning of the pancreas and intestines, Mezim, Pancreatin, and Festal are prescribed.

Adults often make mistakes when taking unsupervised treatment on their own. His health depends on which tablet and in what dosage a person takes.

In order not to be poisoned by medicinal substances and not to worsen your condition, think about what to use and in what quantity. If there is a lack of information about what to drink for poisoning, or inadequate instructions for the medication, it is better to consult a specialist or doctor.

What to drink in case of poisoning and vomiting

Once in the body, poor quality nutrition has an irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the digestive system. The response of the immune system to food poisoning manifests itself in the form of vomiting. What treatment will quickly relieve nausea.

"Motilium". Restores the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract, calms the urge to vomit. Children under 5 years of age are prescribed 2.5 to 5 mg for every 10 kg of weight. Adults - 10-20 mg.

Damelium. Affects nerve receptors that control gag reflexes. A single dosage for adults is 10 mg. The daily number of doses is 3-4 times.

Antiemetic drugs for poisoning such as Linex and Bifiform Baby are suitable for newborns and young children. Maintenance intestinal microflora occurs due to the action of beneficial fermented milk and probiotic bacteria.

Medicines for diarrhea and poisoning

Against the backdrop of a sharp increase in toxic substances, the digestive system loses its ability to maintain acid-base balance.

Leftover food undergoes fermentation and rotting, which causes loose stools. What pills to take for poisoning and to stop diarrhea.

"Enterofuril" if diarrhea is of a bacterial nature. Eliminates the activity of gram-positive microorganisms and gram-negative enterobacteria. For children under six months of age, the recommended dose is 2.5 ml of suspension. From 3 to 7 years - 5 ml. An adult can take 2 capsules at once.

"Loperamide". Inexpensive but effective tablets for food poisoning and diarrhea caused by infection. Reduces intestinal motility, reduces the number of bowel movements. Capsules are not prescribed to children under 2 years of age. Children are allowed to take 2 mg of the substance, older people - 4 mg.

For abdominal pain, you can additionally use No-Spasm or Drotaverine tablets, and Smecta solution for diarrhea.

How to bring down the temperature in case of poisoning

Absorbed into the intestinal walls, pathogenic microbes, bacteria and viruses are further spread throughout the body circulatory system, disrupt thermoregulation and cause severe inflammation.

What medicines to take if you are poisoned with fever.

Nimesil powder. The analgesic and antipyretic effect is achieved by inhibiting the growth and spread of pathogenic cells in areas of inflammation. The contents of 1 packet are dissolved in 100 ml of warm water.

Will calm you down febrile state and will lower the temperature against the background of an infection “Paracetamol”, contacting the centers of thermoregulation and pain. The maximum permissible single dose is 1 gram.

To bring down the temperature in children, they use drugs for poisoning in a convenient powder: effervescent “Efferalgan” and soluble “Panadol”.

Antibiotics for food poisoning

Identify the pathogen intestinal infection or the presence of helminthic infestation can be confirmed only after laboratory research. Antibacterial medications after poisoning are used only on the recommendation of a doctor.

"Furazolidone". Active antimicrobial medicinal product disrupts the breathing process and the structure of microorganisms, reduces the amount of toxins released by bacteria. For toxic infections, the duration of administration is 5-10 days. Single dosage for adults: 100-150 mg.

“Nifuroxazide” and “Adisord” - this is what children should take in case of poisoning. These antibacterial drugs for poisoning are safe for a small organism and have a wide range of effects on gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms.

Nifuroxazide prevents the development of intestinal infection, inhibits the development of microbial cells and its respiratory ability, and activates the immune system. Prescribed from 1 month of life. A single dosage in the form of a suspension is 100 mg.

Starting from 3 years, it is better to choose tablets for poisoning and diarrhea “Adisord”. Does not affect the microflora and intestinal mucosa, is characterized by intense antimicrobial effect. Dosage per day - 1-2 capsules 3 times.

Poisoning is a disorder of the body's functioning. The reason for this is the entry of poison or toxin into the body.
In medicine, poisoning is usually called intoxication.

Types of poisoning

Food poisoning is divided into two groups.

The first group includes poisoning various products nutrition.

The greatest likelihood of poisoning in children occurs when dairy products, eggs, fish and seafood, meat, and confectionery products with cream are included in the diet.

The second group includes poisoning by chemical substances.

Both groups of poisonings are potentially dangerous to the child’s body if first aid is not provided in time.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The first symptom of poisoning is vomiting. In case of poisoning, it can occur more than 15 times per day. In parallel with it, diarrhea may appear.

The child’s behavior changes dramatically, he becomes lethargic and capricious.

Body temperature can reach 38 degrees Celsius.

First aid for poisoning

The very first thing to do is gastric lavage. You need to give your child 1–2 liters of warm boiled water to drink. This is necessary to quickly cleanse the stomach of food that is poisoning the child.

It is necessary to ensure that the child’s body does not become dehydrated. Must be observed drinking regime. To do this, you need to give the child 1-2 sips of weak tea every 10-15 minutes.

After this, the child should be given first aid. It is necessary to give the child medication, but you need to take into account that the child’s body is different from the adult’s body and special medications are needed for it.

Medicines for a child in case of poisoning

At severe vomiting or in a child, you should resort to the drug "Regidron". 1 sachet is diluted in a liter of cooled boiled water and given to the child in portions throughout the day. This drug replenishes fluid in the body.

A drug such as Smecta will help restore balance in the body. Its effect is stronger than regular activated carbon. You should give your child one sachet at the first symptoms, and then drink two more throughout the day. The course of treatment with the drug is 3–7 days.
And in order to kill the infectious agent, you should give the child Enterofuril. He is intestinal antibiotic. It should be taken 2-3 times a day for 5-7 days. The dosage depends on the age of the child.

To restore the microflora of the large intestine in a child, you need to give the child Lactofiltrum tablets. Before use, you should read the instructions carefully. When giving this drug to a child, you need to remember that it is taken half an hour before or after taking other medications.

Food poisoning in a child is a fairly common occurrence in pediatric practice. The situation “apparently the baby ate something wrong” is familiar to every parent. Sometimes it is possible to recognize poisoning and find out the cause immediately. But often the situation is not so clear and unambiguous.

Any adult probably has personal experience of food poisoning. But despite this, when such a situation happens to a child, adults have a whole bunch of questions.

For example, how to recognize the symptoms of food poisoning in time? How can I help my child before going to the doctor? When should you see a doctor? How to feed a child during and after food poisoning? When can a child join a team again? What preventive measures exist for this condition?

All of the above is just a sample list of questions that parents have. I will answer all questions in this article.

It is worth clarifying that food poisoning includes the following types of poisoning:

• Poisoning when components of various chemicals enter the child’s gastrointestinal tract.
• Poisoning poisonous plants, mushrooms, animals or fish.
• Microbial poisoning from eating spoiled foods.

Moreover, in the last paragraph it is possible to distinguish between two different concepts - foodborne toxic infection (food poisoning itself) and bacterial intestinal infection.

In the first case, poisoning is caused by toxins, that is, toxic waste products of bacteria. And the bacteria themselves may no longer even be present in the product.

For example, during heat treatment of an already spoiled product, bacteria die under the influence high temperatures, and their toxins, previously accumulated in the product, are thus not destroyed.

A bacterial intestinal infection develops when a product directly contaminated with bacteria enters a child’s body. These can be various pathogenic (disease-causing) or conditionally pathogenic bacteria - salmonella, coli, staphylococcus, listeria.

At the same time, a product contaminated with bacteria may not change at all in taste or smell.

In addition, infection can occur not only with food, but also with water and dirty hands.

Bacterial intestinal infection is much more dangerous than food poisoning. It is more severe and requires a more serious approach to treatment.

The main differences between bacterial intestinal infection and food poisoning

Characteristics	Food poisoning	Acute intestinal infection
Transmission routes	Food route only: through spoiled foods.	Contact-household, airborne, fecal-oral.
What causes poisoning	The body is poisoned by bacterial toxins.	The body is poisoned by bacteria that have penetrated the gastrointestinal tract.
Incubation period	Short: from half an hour to 2 days.	Depending on the pathogen (from several hours to several days).
Clinic	Vomit. The temperature does not always happen. If it happens, then, as a rule, it rises for a short period and does not exceed 38°C. There are loose stools, but they are not frequent and pass quickly.	Temperatures above 38°C last for several days. Vomiting does not always happen. Loose stools are abundant and frequent. Severe cases of infection are dangerous due to rapid dehydration and intoxication.
Onset and duration of illness	It begins and ends suddenly, recovery occurs relatively quickly.	The onset is acute, lasting at least 7 days. Complications are possible.

List of foods that are likely to cause food poisoning

1. Seafood and fish (usually oysters, mussels, shrimp, tuna).
2. Dairy products.
3. Watermelons, melons.
4. Undercooked meat.
5. Forest mushrooms.
6. Canned food.
7. Meat products (pate, jellied meat, jellied meat, sausages).
8. Chicken eggs.
9. Confectionery with cream.
10. Salads with mayonnaise.

Why are food poisoning more serious in children than in adults?

In fact, the body of an adult and a child reacts differently to the ingress of pathogenic microbes or their toxins. It is not uncommon for several people in a family to experience food poisoning. In this case, adults can get away with a slight fright in the form of mild indigestion. And at this time the child lies flat with a fever and uncontrollable vomiting.

This is because the adult body is better protected against infections. And the protective mechanisms in the child’s body are imperfect.

In children, the protective factors of the gastrointestinal tract are not sufficiently formed, which can have a detrimental effect on pathogenic bacteria that have entered the body through the digestive system. Babies still have an insufficient bactericidal effect of saliva, weak acidity of gastric juice, low antimicrobial activity of bile, and a very unstable balance of intestinal microflora.

All of the above is also accompanied by such provoking factors as the desire of children to try everything by heart. Insufficiently developed hygiene skills and fragile immunity of children also play a role.

Symptoms

Clinically, poisoning in children manifests itself quickly. Symptoms typically appear within a few hours of eating the offending foods.

The speed of appearance and increase in symptoms depends on the pathogen, on the amount of food eaten that poisoned the child, on the state of the child’s immunity.

Food poisoning is characterized by vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, and loose stools. The temperature may rise to 38°C. As a rule, the temperature does not last more than a day. Weakness appears headache and general malaise. The child may be capricious, lethargic, or, conversely, restless.

Vomiting is often one of the first symptoms of poisoning. At first, the vomit contains food debris, then it may just be gastric juice.

Vomiting is a protective reaction of the body. In other words, this is an attempt by the stomach to get rid of the poisonous substance before it penetrates further into the body.

Therefore, there is no need to suppress vomiting by taking antiemetic drugs. Moreover, vomiting during poisoning brings temporary relief to the child.

In case of poisoning, bloating often develops in the abdomen due to increased gas formation - flatulence. Increased gas formation manifests itself as a sonorous “rumbling” and “transfusion” in the intestines. In this case, cramping pain occurs in the abdomen. Popularly, this phenomenon has received a characteristic name - “twists in the stomach.”

Children often cannot explain where and what hurts. When experiencing spasmodic pain in the abdomen, older children simply grab their stomach and try to curl up.

At first, the chair may only be less decorated. This change in stool cannot be called diarrhea. But over time, stools become watery and frequent. The color of the stool and its smell may change.

First aid for food poisoning in a baby includes replenishing fluid losses and taking sorbents.

Replenishment of fluid losses

For children over 4 years old, you can first try to clear the stomach of food debris. For this, simple warm water or a weak solution (barely pink) of potassium permanganate will do. It is advisable to give the child two glasses of water and then induce vomiting.

When your stomach is empty, vomiting reflex will gradually calm down. This way the child will be able to replenish the deficiency of fluid in the body that was lost through vomiting and loose stools.

Children often experience a situation where any drink provokes vomiting. To prevent this from happening, you need to give your child water at body temperature. This will allow it to be absorbed faster in the stomach.

Children need to be fed in small portions. About a teaspoon every five minutes. Such a volume will not expand the walls of the stomach or put pressure on them. Therefore, it will not cause spasm of the stomach muscles and vomiting will not occur.

It is best to give your child a saline solution. For this it is better to use special solutions. These oral rehydration products are widely available in the pharmacy. You can use Regidron, Glucosolan, Normohydron, Gastrolit, Oralit.

If it is not possible to run to the pharmacy here and now, then you can prepare such a solution yourself at home. For a liter of boiled water at room temperature, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix everything and feed the child with this solution.

Not all children want to drink at the time of poisoning. We need to look for compromises. Otherwise, if the parents fail to give the child a drink through the mouth themselves, the baby will have to lie under a drip. And neither one nor the other wants this.

Can be used as a drink mineral water, compote of dried fruits or raisins, weakly sweetened tea. This will help replenish the loss of salts and electrolytes (potassium, sodium ions) along with vomiting.

It is not advisable to give children with poisoning juices and compotes from fresh berries. All this will increase bloating and fermentation in the intestines.

Here we cannot fail to mention chemical poisoning. They are not food products in themselves, but they also enter the body through digestive tract, calling pathological disorders in the digestive system.

If you are poisoned by chemicals, you should not attempt any self-help.

You cannot induce vomiting. It is necessary to urgently take the child to the hospital. In case of poisoning by chemicals or poisons, treatment is carried out in the toxicology department or in the intensive care ward.

Reception of sorbents

Sorbents are substances with high absorption capacity. Their use is indicated for any poisoning. The child must be given a sorbent drug to bind and remove toxins and bacteria from the intestines.

The following sorbent preparations exist: Activated carbon, Smecta, Enterosgel (suitable for small children), Polyphepan, Filtrum, Laktofiltrum, Polysorb MP.

Before use, carefully read the instructions for the drug. It is advisable for children to crush activated carbon tablets. Give at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight.

Then you should consult a doctor for differentiated diagnosis and competent treatment of poisoning.

If a doctor confirms a foodborne illness, no specific treatment is prescribed other than following a certain diet and replenishing lost fluid.

A very common misconception is that in case of poisoning you need to take antibiotics. Now, that's not true.

At bacterial infection Antibiotics may be prescribed. But for confirmed toxic infection, antibiotics are not prescribed. After all, the disease is caused by toxins of already dead bacteria. That's why antibacterial therapy has no effect on the toxic products of bacterial metabolism.

Complications of food poisoning

First of all, food poisoning is dangerous due to dehydration of the child’s body.

With severe fluid loss (with vomiting, diarrhea, fever), the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases. You can smell acetone from your child's mouth.

The child becomes lethargic, the skin becomes pale and loses tone. Facial features become pointed, eyeballs become sunken. The baby cries without tears, the mucous membranes become dry.

Time passes, the disease progresses and the child no longer feels thirsty and practically does not urinate. Urine has dark color and a pungent odor.

When is a doctor necessary?

I will say right away that children under one year old with food poisoning should not stay at home. Due to their physiological characteristics, their condition can quickly deteriorate and progress. Therefore, they need careful and round-the-clock medical supervision. And this is only possible in a hospital.

Children under three years of age with mild poisoning can stay at home under the supervision of a local pediatrician. But if there is no positive change in the child’s condition within two days, you need to urgently go to the hospital.

You should seek emergency help in the following cases:

• It is impossible to get a child drunk. Uncontrollable vomiting prevents the child from absorbing fluid. Or the child resists and does not drink, and fluid loss continues.
• Loose stool mixed with blood.
• Vomiting more than once an hour.
• Muscle weakness in a child.
• The child ate mushrooms, and then symptoms of food poisoning appeared.
• If your child develops a rash along with symptoms of food poisoning.
• If, along with the symptoms of poisoning, a jaundiced coloration of the skin or sclera appears.
• The child has not urinated for 4-5 hours or the urine is dark in color and has a strong odor.
• If this is a case of mass poisoning (in a child care facility or family).

In case of food poisoning, the child should not be forced to eat on the first day. He will benefit from a “starvation diet.” This, of course, does not apply to infants.

The main thing is to feed the child. And in any case, the stomach will not be able to digest food while vomiting continues.

After the vomiting stops, the child can be offered something to eat. But these cannot be products from the “common table”. A gentle diet is recommended for children.

Food should be pureed and chopped. You need to feed your child in fractional portions and increase the number of meals to six times a day (every three hours, for example). Food should be given as desired, but without overloading the stomach.

You should give preference to boiled, stewed, steamed or oven-baked dishes.

An example of a child's diet after poisoning

1st day. Drink a lot (water and/or saline solution or dried fruit compote). Hungry pause in eating. You can give natural jelly.

2nd day. When the child has stopped vomiting and feels better, his appetite returns. Now it is important not to follow the child’s lead and not give him the “wrong foods”. Otherwise, you can provoke a repeated wave of vomiting and indigestion.

Your baby can be given heavily boiled porridge in water, pureed vegetable or cereal soups, and mashed potatoes (without butter or milk).

You should not give whole milk, since in case of poisoning there are not enough enzymes in the intestines to break down milk sugar (lactose).

Also, the sugars of fresh fruits and berries will not be absorbed normally. Fruits and berries will only cause fermentation in the child’s intestines.

3rd day. You can slightly expand your diet with low-fat fermented milk products(yogurt without additives, baby kefir, low-fat cottage cheese). You can eat dried bread (just not fresh), biscuits (crackers or “zoological”). Since your child cannot eat fresh fruit, you can give your baby baked apples.

4th day. You can add protein foods to your diet: egg white omelettes, lentil soups, dishes made from lean meats or fish.

By the end of the 6-7th day of the diet, you can begin to introduce porridges prepared with milk diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio.

Children who have just suffered poisoning should not be given juices, ice cream, pasta, baked goods, sweets and chocolate. After all, carbohydrates will increase fermentation in the intestines.

Diet restrictions must be observed for 2 weeks. Based on this, it is advisable for the child to return to the children's group no earlier than after 2 weeks (if possible).

Prevention

Already from the above, it became clear that food poisoning in children in most cases occurs due to insufficient heat treatment of food, consumption of contaminated food and water, and failure to comply with hygiene rules.

Therefore, the rules of prevention will concern all these points.

Namely:

1. Subject products to high-quality heat treatment. Even fruits and vegetables during the season of increased infectious danger should be doused with boiling water after thorough washing.
2. Monitor the quality of the water you drink and cook with.
3. Wash your hands with soap! Teach children to wash their hands after using the toilet and public places, after walking and before eating. You must wash your hands with soap for at least 30 seconds.
4. During the cooking process, do not allow food to come into contact with raw foods, use different boards for cutting such products.
5. Keep the dishes, refrigerator, and eating area clean.
6. Monitor the expiration dates of products and their storage conditions.
7. Do not buy products from unauthorized retail outlets, products without labels and specified deadlines suitability.
8. After cooling, cooked dishes should be placed in the refrigerator within an hour. Monitor the temperature in the home refrigerator (should be below +5°C) and in the freezer (below -15°C).
9. Make sure that toxic substances, household chemicals, etc. are inaccessible to your child in your home.
10. Find out in advance if there are any poisonous specimens among your indoor plants.

To summarize, we can say that adults should always be on guard. Monitor what the child eats, whether he has washed his hands, and whether any chemicals are available to the child. In general, the health of our children is in the hands of their parents.

Food poisoning (toxicoinfection) – acute toxic or infectious lesion the body, which occurs after eating low-quality foods. It is characterized by a complex pathological symptoms(diarrhea, intoxication, vomiting, dehydration).

Children are poisoned more often than adults. The child’s body is not yet strong, so it can hardly resist external “aggressors” that cause intoxication. In addition, children, in the absence of adult supervision, rarely adhere to the rules of hygiene, especially at a younger age.

Causes

A low-quality product is called regular product food that has become dangerous for consumption due to certain reasons.

It can be:

• When the juice expires, when decomposition and rotting processes occur in food, dangerous toxins accumulate in it.
• Ingress of bacterial toxins into a fresh product (for example, if the cream preparation technology is violated).
• Contamination of food with pathogenic organisms (unwashed fruits, egg shells).

Food poisoning in a child caused by poor-quality products is classified as infectious.

Products that can most often poison children:

• exotic vegetables and fruits;
• kernels of peaches and apricots (they contain hydrocyanic acid);
• mushrooms;
• smoked meats;
• canned food;
• eggs;
• milk;
• confectionery with cream.

Bacteria multiply in places where sanitary and hygienic standards are not observed (where food is stored, prepared or sold). Poisonings can be either isolated or widespread. Food poisoning outbreaks typically occur in the summer and early fall. During this period, the most favorable conditions for the activation of pathogenic bacteria.

In addition to food poisoning, children can be poisoned by poisonous plants, medicines, and chemical poisons that get into food. These are non-infectious poisonings.

Features of toxic infection in children

The child's body is not yet sufficiently formed. Therefore, his organs and systems react to food poisoning more severely than in adults. The same product can cause only a slight upset in an adult, but severe intoxication in a child.

Why do children have a hard time with poisoning? Causes:

• The liver does not have a system of enzymes that bind and remove toxins.
• The acidity of gastric secretions is reduced, which reduces the barrier to pathogenic organisms.
• The normal protective intestinal microflora is not formed (children often suffer from dysbiosis).
• The kidneys have low filtration capacity.

All these features contribute to the fact that children are exposed to poisoning more often, and their course is more severe than in adults. The first symptoms indicating poisoning should be a reason to consult a doctor.

Clinical manifestations

The course of poisoning in a child’s body occurs in several stages. Classification of food poisoning:

Asymptomatic

This is the time from the penetration of low-quality food into the body until the first visible symptoms of poisoning. This period can last from 30 minutes to 1 day. It all depends on the amount of food consumed, the age of the baby and his health, and the type of pathogen. The child may not be bothered by anything, but appears:

• feeling of weakness;
• malaise;
• increased sweating.

Toxigenic period

After a certain amount of toxin penetrates into the blood, the first symptoms of poisoning appear. The duration of the toxicogenic stage depends on how the body reacts to the poison and on the timely assistance provided to the child. Usually it is 5-6 days.

Symptoms of food poisoning:

• damage to the intestinal and gastric mucosa;
• intoxication;
• dehydration;
• nausea;
• drowsiness;
• refusal to eat;
• temperature increase;
• severe abdominal pain.

Note! To quickly remove toxins, the body undergoes a protective reaction in the form of diarrhea and vomiting. If vomiting continues more than 3 times, it is urgent to restore the water and electrolyte balance.

When fluid is lost, symptoms of dehydration appear:

• dry skin;
• pallor;
• sharpness of facial features;
• convulsions;
• decrease in pressure;
• acidosis.

Convalescence stage

Restoration of body functions that were impaired due to exposure to a toxic substance. In general, the symptoms of poisoning subside after 1-3 days. Lack of appetite, pain in the stomach, and broken stools persist for some time.

First aid for a child at home

Self-medication of a child under 1 year is not allowed. Children under 3 years of age necessarily require hospitalization. They cannot rinse their stomach at home; first of all, they need to call an ambulance.

Urgent measures at the first signs of toxic infection:

• Provide the child with complete rest.
• Before the ambulance arrives, place him on his side, making sure that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract.
• Do not give any food until the vomiting stops.
• Rinse the stomach while giving the child something to drink (1 liter of warm water, you can add 1 teaspoon of soda). Children under 5 years old should not wash their stomach this way!
• After drinking, induce vomiting by pressing your finger on the root of the tongue.
• Give the child a sorbent (Smecta, Enterosgel)

Treatment at home

At home, you can fight poisoning only in cases of mild intoxication in children over 3 years of age.

Fighting dehydration

To replenish the loss of fluid that comes out along with toxins, you can give your child electrolyte solutions (Regidron). Give 1-2 spoons every 10 minutes. If there are no ready-made preparations, you can prepare the solution yourself. For 1 liter of boiled water, take 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of soda. The main rule is frequent, fractional drinking.

Sorbents

Thanks to sorbents, toxins are bound and removed from the body. The sooner they are taken, the higher the chance that toxins will not enter the bloodstream.

Children can take:

• Polysorb;
• Smecta;
• Activated carbon;
• Enterosgel.

If the sorbent is produced in the form of tablets, it is better to crush it and dilute it a small amount water. All medications must be taken with strict adherence to the dosage according to the baby’s age.

Probiotics

When the vomiting stops, the child can be given medications that restore intestinal microflora. They help speed up recovery and reduce the severity of symptoms.

Probiotics for children:

• Linux;
• Bifiform;
• Acipol;
• Portolac.

What not to do

Prohibited actions:

• independently treat a child under 3 years of age;
• give antiemetics and antidiarrheals (this is the body’s protective reaction to the effects of toxins);
• take antibiotics without a doctor’s recommendation (they can be prescribed if an intestinal infection is detected);
• since many sorbents cannot be taken for peptic ulcers and stomach bleeding, you must first discuss their appointment with your doctor.

Drinking regime and diet

The main thing in case of toxic infection is to replenish fluid loss, and give your child plenty to drink. It can be:

• still water;
• weak tea;
• rice broth;
• rosehip decoction;
• ready-made electrolyte solutions.

For every kilogram of weight, the child should receive 150-200 ml of liquid. This balance must be maintained until vomiting and diarrhea disappear completely.

In case of poisoning, it is very important to stick to your diet. The first 4-6 hours should not give the child any food. After this, switch to a gentle diet. Food should be pureed and liquid, and portions should be small. Number of meals – 7-8 per day. In the first days you need to give up fresh bread and milk, minimum fat.

What you can use:

• porridge with water;
• crackers;
• vegetable broth;
• puree soups;
• pureed boiled meat;
• dairy products.

This regime should be followed for 2-3 weeks. Avoid eating spices, raw fruits and vegetables, fatty, fried foods, juices, and sweets.

Prevention measures

Usually a child can get food poisoning if adults neglect basic hygienic requirements. Following the rules for preventing food poisoning can help protect your child from getting toxic substances into his or her body:

• teach your child to wash their hands more often (after going outside, using the toilet, before eating);
• The food preparation and storage area must be kept clean;
• after touching raw meat, fish, eggs, you need to wash your hands with soap;
• wash raw vegetables and fruits thoroughly;
• cook meat and fish until fully cooked;
• do not give your child food with blood (medium steak);
• do not eat swollen and cloudy canned food;
• look at the expiration date of products;
• if there are pustules and wounds on the hands, cook food with gloves;
• Do not leave food open on the table.

Anyone can get food poisoning. Children most often can become poisoned through the carelessness of adults and their failure to comply with basic hygiene. You need to carefully monitor what the child eats, whether his hands are clean, and how high-quality and fresh the food is. The health of children is in our hands.

Video about first aid for a child with food poisoning: