Health tips for Spring Festival holiday

4. Food poisoning

Facts:
In China, microbiological food poisoning incidents top the number of poisoning cases and the the number of poisonings.

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea often occur within 24 hours after eating. Common symptoms include persistent or paroxysmal colic in the the upper and middle abdomen, and the vomit is mostly food recently eaten.

Patients often vomit first and then purge, have diarrhea several to dozens of times a day, mostly as yellow loose stool or water or mucus stool.

How to prevent food poisoning:
I. Pay attention to dietetic hygiene. Do not eat uncooked food, disinfected milk, unpeeled fruits or raw vegetables. Do not drink unboiled water.
II. Do not pick and eat wild mushrooms and wild plants.
III. Choose fresh and safe food raw materials. Separate raw and cooked materials.
IV. When go out for dinner, choose a qualified and hygienic restaurant.

5. Nonoccupational carbon monoxide poisoning

Facts:

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and nonirritating asphyxiating gas.
Non-occupational carbon monoxide poisoning has a high rate of incidence during the coal heating season in northern China.

High-incidence provinces are mainly distributed in Northeast China, North China as well as Middle and East China.

It usually occurs in families, including living rooms with heating equipment such as coal stoves and carbon fires, bathrooms or shower rooms with gas and gas water heaters, and kitchens with fuel gas and coal gas stoves. Other high-risk places include garages and basements with small-scaled oil and gas electric generators and closed air-conditioned cars.

For mild and moderate poisoning cases, the patients generally have no sequela if they are quickly removed from the poisoning environment and receive medical rescue in time.

The death rate of severe poisoning is high and the survivors may have severe sequelae.

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
I. In cold seasons, choose a central heating system, if necessary.
II. When using gas, a gas cooker or a small-scaled oil and gas generator at home, keep good ventilated conditions. Preferably install a carbon monoxide detector, and check and maintain it regularly.
III. If non-occupational carbon monoxide poisoning occurs, open the windows immediately and remove the poisoned person to a fresh and well-ventilated place as soon as possible.
IV. Dial the emergency number (120) as quickly as you can and the patient should receive treatment at once in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. For severe patients with respiratory and cardiac arrest, artificial respiration and cardiac compression should be given immediately.