Prevention of Traveler's diarrhea

Prevention of Traveler's diarrhea:

Diarrhea: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Traveler's diarrhea happens when you consume food or water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. You can take the following precautions to prevent traveler's diarrhea when you go abroad:

• Do not drink any tap water, not even when brushing your teeth.

• Do not drink unpasteurized milk or dairy products.

• Do not use ice made from tap water.

• Avoid all raw fruits and vegetables (including lettuce and fruit salad) unless they can be peeled and you peel them yourself.

• Do not eat raw or rare meat and fish.

• Do not eat meat or shellfish that is not hot when served to you.

• Do not eat food from street vendors.

You can safely drink bottled water (if you are the one to break the seal), carbonated soft drinks, and hot drinks like coffee or tea.

Depending on where you are going and how long you are staying, your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotics before leaving to protect you from possible infection. (Source: excerpt from Diarrhea: NIDDK)

Travelers' Diarrhea: DBMD (Excerpt)

Travelers can minimize their risk for TD by practicing the following effective preventive measures:

• Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments where unhygienic conditions are present
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and seafood
• Avoid eating raw fruits (e.g., oranges, bananas, avocados) and vegetables unless the traveler peels them.

If handled properly well-cooked and packaged foods usually are safe. Tap water, ice, unpasteurized milk, and dairy products are associated with increased risk for TD. Safe beverages include bottled carbonated beverages, hot tea or coffee, beer, wine, and water boiled or appropriately treated with iodine or chlorine. (Source: excerpt from Travelers' Diarrhea: DBMD)

Travelers' Diarrhea: DBMD (Excerpt)

CDC does not recommend antimicrobial drugs to prevent TD. Studies show a decrease in the incidence of TD with use of bismuth subsalicylate and with use of antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis. Several studies show that bismuth subsalicylate taken as either 2 tablets 4 times daily or 2 fluid ounces 4 times daily reduces the incidence of travelers' diarrhea. The mechanism of action appears to be both antibacterial and antisecretory. Use of bismuth subsalicylate should be avoided by persons who are allergic to aspirin, during pregnancy, and by persons taking certain other medications (e.g., anticoagulants, probenecid, or methotrexate). In addition, persons should be informed about potential side effects, in particular about temporary blackening of the tongue and stool, and rarely ringing in the ears. Because of potential adverse side effects, prophylactic bismuth subsalicylate should not be used for more than 3 weeks.

Some antibiotics administered in a once-a-day dose are 90% effective at preventing travelers' diarrhea; however, antibiotics are not recommended as prophylaxis. Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis increases the traveler's risk for adverse reactions and for infections with resistant organisms. Because antimicrobials can increase a traveler 's susceptibility to resistant bacterial pathogens and provide no protection against either viral or parasitic pathogens, they can give travelers a false sense of security. As a result, strict adherence to preventive measures is encouraged, and bismuth subsalicylate should be used as an adjunct if prophylaxis is needed. (Source: excerpt from Travelers' Diarrhea: DBMD)

Traveler's diarrhea Treatment: Book Excerpts

• Treatment - Diarrhea - Acute
• Treatment - Diarrhea - Chronic
• Treatment - Diarrhea – Acute
• Treatment - Diarrhea – Chronic, No Blood or Weight Loss
• Treatment - Diarrhea – Chronic, with Weight Loss
• Emergency interventions - Diarrhea
• Nursing considerations - Diarrhea
• Emergency Actions - Diarrhea
• Nursing considerations - Diarrhea
• Nursing considerations - Fecal incontinence
• VI. Treatment - Diarrhea - Case 17-1 2-Month-Old Boy
• VI. Treatment - Diarrhea - Case 17-4 15-Month-Old Boy

Prevention Claims: Traveler's diarrhea

Information on prevention of Traveler's diarrhea comes from many sources. There are some sources that claim preventive benefits for many different diseases for various products. We may present such information in the hope that it may be useful, however, in some cases claims of Traveler's diarrhea prevention may be dubious, invalid, or not recognized in mainstream medicine. Please discuss any treatment, discontinuation of treatment, or change of treatment plans with your doctor or professional medical specialist.

 » Next page: Cure Research for Traveler's diarrhea

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