About this topic
Campylobacter is an infection that affects the bowels. It may cause swelling of the bowels and loose stools. The lining of the bowels may also break down and cause bleeding. You often get this infection by eating or drinking food that is contaminated with animal stool. It is also passed on by: ‚
- Eating raw or undercooked poultry
- Drinking raw or fresh milk
- Eating or drinking food or water that has the germ in it
There is no special treatment for this infection. Most people get better on their own. Sometimes, the doctor will give drugs to treat this illness. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Practice good health habits. Wash your hands with soap each time you go to the bathroom.
- Drink water from a clean source. Drink bottled or previously boiled water.
- The doctor will likely suggest that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluids each day. This may help to prevent fluid loss.
- Get lots of rest. Sleep when you are feeling tired. Avoid doing tiring activities.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
Sometimes, the doctor will give drugs to treat this illness. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activities may be limited if you are feeling weak due to loss of fluids. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Stay away from caffeine and foods that are greasy, high in fiber, or sweet.
- Eat soft, bland foods like bananas, plain rice, boiled potatoes, toast, crackers, cooked carrots, and baked chicken without the skin or fat.
- Eat small meals every few hours instead of 3 big meals.
What problems could happen?
- Too much fluid loss
- Spread of infection into the bloodstream
- Swelling of tissue around the brain
- Kidney problems
- Low platelet count
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Practice proper sanitation and disposal of stool.
- Wear proper protective clothing when working with soil. Wear hand gloves or shoes when farming or exposed to soil.
- Be careful when swimming.
- Avoid swallowing water while swimming, boating, or doing recreational water activities.
- Protect others by not swimming when you or your child has loose stools. Do not swim for at least 2 weeks after loose stools stop.
- Change diapers in a bathroom, not at poolside.
- Be careful when eating.
- Choose foods that are freshly cooked and served very hot.
- Do not eat food from street vendors.
- Prevent cross contamination. Always handle raw poultry, beef, and pork as if they are contaminated.
- Wrap fresh meats in plastic bags at the store to prevent blood from dripping on other foods.
- Wash kitchen utensils after they are exposed to raw poultry meat.
- Use different containers or cutting boards for dry and wet foods.
- Do not put cooked meat on the same plate that was used when it was still raw.
- If you suspect that your drinking water may be contaminated, let it boil at more than 140 ‚ °F (60 ‚ °C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Avoid eating or drinking unpasteurized milk and dairy products.
- Follow good hygiene habits
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill germs. This is especially important:
- After using the bathroom or changing diapers
- Before eating
- Before cooking
- After working in dirt
- Teach children to keep their hands out of their mouth.
- Keep sick children away from daycare. This will prevent spreading the infection to others.
- Wear a condom when having anal sex.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Signs of fluid loss. These include dark-colored urine or no urine for more than 8 hours, no wet diapers in babies for more than 6 to 8 hours, dry mouth, cracked lips, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling faint, or passing out.
- Very bad belly pain
- Bloody stools
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what I can do to help avoid passing the infection to others.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have dark colored urine, dry mouth, bad belly pain, or bloody stools.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/campylobacter/ ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/stomach/campylobacter.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚