Diarrhea, Dehydration, Food poisoning

Question 1

What is diarrhea?

Answer 1

Loose, watery stools that occur more frequently than usual.

Question 2

Diarrhea on duration basis.

Answer 2

• acute diarrhea (1 - 2 days / acute watery diarrhea & acute bloody diarrhea)
• persistent diarrhea (2 - 4 weeks)
• chronic diarrhea (at least 4 weeks)

Question 3

What are the causes of diarrhea?

Answer 3

• infection
• drugs
• dietary causes

Question 4

What is dehydration?

Answer 4

It’s when your body loses or uses more fluids than it takes in.

Question 5

What are the symptoms of dehydration?

Answer 5

Adults
- extreme thirst
- less frequent / dark-colored urine
- fatigue / dizziness

Infant / young child
- no tears when crying
- no wet diapers for 3 hrs
- dry mouth & tongue

Question 6

How do you treat dehydration?

Answer 6

• rehydrate with water
• replace lost electrolytes
• treating diarrhea or vomiting

Question 7

How is dehydration prevented?

Answer 7

• meet daily water requirement of 35ml of water per kg of bodyweight
• eat foods high in water content

Question 8

What is food poisoning?

Answer 8

It is the result of eating contaminated, spoiled, or toxic food.

Question 9

What are the 3 types of food poisoning?

Answer 9

• chemical (caused by chemicals like antibiotics, pesticides in food)
• biological (caused by naturally occuring chemicals in foods)
• bacterial (toxic / infectious) (caused by pathogens in foods)

Question 10

What are toxic and infectious food poisonings?

Answer 10

Toxic
- some bacteria produce exotoxins which is hard to destroy (boiling for 30 mins required)
- symptoms often show in 2 hrs
Infectious
- caused by bacteria producing exotoxins which are easy to destroy (proper cooking / reheating)
- symptons often show in 12 hrs

Question 11

What are the symptoms of food poisoning?

Answer 11

• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal cramps
• stomach cramps
• diarrhea