From the Guidelines
To minimize the risk of food poisoning while traveling, especially for a patient taking metoprolol, it is crucial to adhere to strict food and water safety guidelines, including avoiding raw or undercooked foods, sticking to bottled or boiled water, and practicing good hygiene. When considering the prevention of food poisoning, several key points must be addressed to ensure the patient's safety and well-being.
- The patient should avoid consuming raw fruits and vegetables unless they can be peeled personally, as suggested by 1.
- Eating only thoroughly cooked, hot foods can significantly reduce the risk of ingesting harmful pathogens.
- Sticking to bottled water and avoiding ice cubes is essential, as tap water and ice may be contaminated.
- Washing hands frequently with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a critical hygiene practice.
- Considering the use of probiotic supplements, such as Lactobacillus or Saccharomyces boulardii, starting a few days before the trip and continuing throughout, may help support the gut's natural defenses against pathogens. Additionally, packing over-the-counter medications like loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) can provide quick relief if food poisoning occurs. It's also important to note that metoprolol, a beta-blocker, may mask symptoms of dehydration, such as increased heart rate, which can accompany food poisoning. Therefore, staying vigilant about food and water safety and ensuring adequate hydration is crucial, especially if gastrointestinal issues arise. The most recent and relevant guideline for preventing travelers' diarrhea, as outlined in 2, suggests that bismuth subsalicylate may be considered for any traveler to prevent travelers’ diarrhea, and when antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated, rifaximin is recommended. Moreover, patients with heart conditions, such as those taking metoprolol, are susceptible to volume depletion during travel, as discussed in 3, which can adversely affect cardiac and renal function. Thus, monitoring fluid intake and avoiding dehydration is vital. By following these precautions and guidelines, the risk of food poisoning can be significantly reduced, and the patient's overall health and well-being can be protected during travel.
From the Research
Precautions to Prevent Food Poisoning while Traveling
To prevent food poisoning (gastroenteritis) while traveling, especially for a patient taking metoprolol (beta-blocker), several precautions can be taken:
- Proper food storage and preparation can reduce the risk of food poisoning, as highlighted in 4.
- Avoid touching between cooked and uncooked foods, refrigerate foods promptly after purchase or preparation, and wash hands and clean surfaces after handling raw meats, poultry, fish, and eggs before touching other foods 4.
- Heating foods thoroughly inside is also useful for reducing the risk of food poisoning 4.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, bivalvia (for example, oyster) to prevent food poisoning 4, 5, 6, 7.
- Quality, safe, in-flight catering relies on high standards of food preparation and storage, which applies at the airport kitchens, on the aircraft, and in the transportation vehicles that carry the food from the ground source to the aircraft 8.
Specific Considerations for Travelers
When traveling, it is essential to be aware of the potential risks of food poisoning associated with air travel, as discussed in 8.
- The microbiological quality of food and water on board commercial aircraft should be considered, and measures such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points can be employed to maintain food safety in aviation travel 8.
- Campylobacter jejuni is one of the major bacterial strains that cause diarrhea in humans and can be associated with food poisoning caused by eating raw, undercooked, and/or improperly prepared chicken meat, liver, and grilled chicken (Yakitori) 5.
General Food Safety Practices
General food safety practices, such as proper handling of raw poultry products at home, can also help prevent food poisoning:
- Not washing raw poultry before cooking, proper refrigerator storage of raw poultry, use of a food thermometer to determine doneness, and proper thawing of raw poultry in cold water are essential practices to follow 7.
- Avoiding cross-contamination and using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of smaller cuts of poultry and ground poultry can also help reduce the risk of foodborne illness from Salmonella and Campylobacter 7.