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Patient education: E. coli diarrhea (The Basics)

Patient education: E. coli diarrhea (The Basics)

What is E. coli? — E. coli are bacteria that live in the digestive systems of animals and people (figure 1). Everyone has them, and they do not usually cause problems. But there are different types of E. coli. Some types cause disease. Eating or drinking something with one of these types in it can cause diarrhea and other symptoms.

When E. coli causes disease, it usually happens in the digestive system. But E. coli can sometimes cause illness if it gets into areas of the body where it does not normally live. For example, E. coli can cause a urinary tract infection if it gets into the urinary tract (figure 2).

What are the symptoms of E. coli infection? — The symptoms of E. coli infection of the digestive system include:

Diarrhea – This can be watery or bloody, and mild or severe.

Belly pain

Vomiting – This is more common in children infected with 1 specific type of E. coli.

E. coli that causes bloody diarrhea sometimes also causes problems with the kidneys or blood. This is not common, but can be serious if it does happen.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — See your doctor or nurse if:

You have more than 6 runny bowel movements in 24 hours.

You have bloody diarrhea.

You have a fever higher than 101.3°F (38.5°C) that does not go away after a day.

You have severe belly pain.

You have diarrhea or fever and are age 70 or older.

You should also see a doctor or nurse if your body has lost too much water from diarrhea. This is called "dehydration." Signs of dehydration include:

Having lots of diarrhea that is very watery

Feeling very tired

Thirst

Dry mouth or tongue

Muscle cramps

Dizziness, especially when you stand up

Confusion

Urine that is very yellow, or not needing to urinate for more than 5 hours

Will I need tests? — Most people do not need tests for E. coli. But the doctor or nurse might want to do:

Tests on a sample of your bowel movements

Blood tests

The types of E. coli that cause bloody diarrhea can sometimes also cause problems with the kidneys or blood. If you get sick with E. coli, doctors might do tests to check for these problems.

How is E. coli infection treated? — Many people do not need any specific treatment. Diarrhea from E. coli is not usually treated with antibiotic medicines. With some types of E. coli that cause diarrhea, antibiotics might actually make the illness worse. But if E. coli causes symptoms in other parts of the body, you might need antibiotics.

People who get dehydrated might need fluids through a thin tube called an "IV." The tube goes into a vein. This treatment is usually given in the hospital.

Is there anything I can do on my own to feel better? — Yes. If you have diarrhea, you can:

Drink a lot of liquids that have water, salt, and sugar. Good choices are soup broth and water mixed with juice. If you are drinking enough fluids, your urine will be light yellow or almost clear.

Eat a little food if you feel hungry. Good choices are potatoes, noodles, rice, oatmeal, crackers, bananas, soup, and boiled vegetables. Salty foods help the most.

Ask your doctor or nurse before you take any over-the-counter medicines for diarrhea. If you have E. coli infection, some of these medicines can be harmful.

Can E. coli infection be prevented? — To reduce your chances of getting and spreading E. coli, you should:

Wash your hands after changing diapers, cooking, eating, going to the bathroom, taking out the trash, or touching animals.

Stay home from work or school until you feel better, if you get diarrhea.

Pay attention to food safety. Here are some tips:

Do not drink unpasteurized milk or foods made with it.

Wash fruits and vegetables well before eating them.

Keep the refrigerator colder than 40°F and the freezer below 0°F.

Cook meat and seafood until well done.

Cook eggs until the yolk is firm.

Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after they touch raw food.

For more tips on food safety, see the table (table 1).

More on this topic

Patient education: Diarrhea in teens and adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Diarrhea in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Dehydration in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Travelers' diarrhea (The Basics)
Patient education: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase infection (The Basics)

Patient education: Acute diarrhea in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Acute diarrhea in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: General travel advice (Beyond the Basics)

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Feb 02, 2024.
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