About this topic
E. coli is one more name for Escherichia coli. Sometimes, doctors will put numbers after the words E. coli to help point out which kind it is. This germ makes toxins in your small bowel. The toxins cause very bad loose stools. The toxins may also break the lining of the bowel and cause bleeding in the bowels. ‚
You get this germ most often by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. It is also easy to pass this germ from person to person. People may become infected through: ‚
- Eating raw or undercooked foods, such as cookie dough, fresh picked produce that has not been washed, unprocessed or undercooked meat such as sausage, or food from a street vendor
- Drinking fresh or raw milk that has not been treated
- Germs spread from other people. This is often due to poor hand washing after going to the bathroom.
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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.
- Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluids each day. This will help prevent fluid loss. Good fluids to drink are water and oral electrolyte solutions that you can buy at most supermarkets or drugstores.
- Heat may help ease your belly pain. Put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet or changing diapers.
- Caregivers in the home should wash hands with soap and water when assisting with toileting, preparing meals, feeding, and administering drugs.
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. Your doctor may order a stool test. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Ease belly pain
- Stop throwing up
Do not take drugs to stop the loose stools. This will only prevent your body from getting rid of the toxins. ‚
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?
- Avoid eating dairy products that can make loose stools worse.
- Stay away from foods that are greasy, high in fiber, or sweet.
- You may eat soft, bland foods like bananas, plain rice, boiled potatoes, toast, and crackers.
What problems could happen?
- Very bad fluid loss
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome
- Low red blood cell count
- Low platelet count
- Weakened or damaged kidneys
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet or changing diapers.
- Drink water and ice from a clean source. If you are not sure if your water is clean, boil it for 30 minutes and then let it cool. If the ice source is unknown, do not use it.
- Practice these food safety tips.
- Eat well-cooked food. Do not eat raw ground beef.
- Cook your foods fully. Make sure that meat is fully cooked or brown. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat is at least 155 ‚ °F (68 ‚ °C).
- Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
- Wash, peel, or cook all fruits and vegetables. Wash salad greens thoroughly before eating them.
- Thaw meats in the refrigerator or microwave. Do not thaw them on the counter.
- Prevent cross-contamination:
- Wash your kitchen tools after they are exposed to raw meat.
- Use different containers or cutting boards for dry and wet foods.
- Do not put cooked patties or meat on the same plate that was used when it was still raw.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after touching raw meat.
- Keep others from getting this illness:
- Stay at home until your loose stools are gone and the doctor says you cannot spread the disease.
- Do not cook food for others while you have loose stools.
- Teach children in the home to wash their hands before and after going to the bathroom, eating, and interacting with the person who has the germ and signs.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of fluid loss. These include dark-colored urine or no urine for more than 8 hours, dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling faint, or passing out.
- Signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome. These include low urine output, bruising, bloody stools, confusion, very bad belly pain, fever.
- 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 changes I need to make with my drugs or activities.
- I can tell you ways to help prevent this infection.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have fever, belly pain, bloody stools, or unusual bleeding.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html ‚
FamilyDoctor.org ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/ecoli-infection.printerview.all.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/ecoli.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. ‚