Background
Foodborne illness is a serious public health problem in
the United States. Seventy six million Americans get sick
each year from a foodborne illness. More than 300,000 people
are hospitalized, and 5,000 deaths are attributed to foodborne
illness every year. The very young, elderly, and those with
compromised immune systems are most at risk from the serious
consequences of foodborne illnesses. While substantial progress
in preventing certain foodborne illnesses such as typhoid
and cholera has occurred, recent changes in human demographics
and eating behavior, international travel and commerce, and
microbial adaptation have resulted in new and reemerging foodborne
illnesses.
Physicians, nurses and consumers need to be aware of the
prevalence of foodborne illnesses, and how to treat them.
Physicians should also be aware of the critical role they
play in identifying and preventing potential outbreaks of
foodborne illness in the United States.
To help increase awareness of foodborne illnesses among
physicians, nurses and consumers a new edition of "Diagnosis
and Management of Foodborne Illness: A Primer for Physicians
and other Health Care Professionals" is being released. The
primer includes new sections on hepatitis A, noroviruses,
antibiotic-resistant salmonella, congenital toxoplasmosis
and intentional contamination.
Developers
This primer was developed in collaboration by the following
organizations:
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- American Nurses Association (ANA)/American Nurses Foundation
(ANF)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and
Drug Administration (CFSAN/FDA)
- Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of
Agriculture (FSIS/USDA)
Audience
This primer was created for primary care physicians and
other health care professionals who are most likely to see
the first case of a potential food-related disease outbreak.
The kit includes a four step consumer guide to food safety
for physicians to share with their patients.
Purpose
This primer provides health care professionals with current
and accurate information for the diagnosis, treatment and
reporting of foodborne illnesses, and with patient education
materials on prevention of foodborne illness.
The primer is designed to help health professionals:
- Recognize the potential for a foodborne illness to be
responsible for a patient's illness
- Realize that many but not all cases of foodborne illness
have gastrointestinal tract symptoms
- Obtain stool cultures in appropriate settings, and recognize
that testing for some specific pathogens must be requested
- Appreciate the context in which a foodborne illness may
be due to intentional contamination
- Report all suspect cases to appropriate public health
officials
- Talk with patients about ways to prevent food-related
diseases
- Recognize the vulnerable populations that may suffer
more severe adverse events from foodborne illness
- Appreciate that any patient with foodborne illness may
represent the first case of a more widespread outbreak
Learning Objectives
At completion of this activity, the participants will be
able to identify:
- At least six agents responsible for various manifestations
of foodborne illness
- Four criteria for prescribing antibacterial therapy for
foodborne illness
- How to access the most current reporting requirements
for foodborne illness
- Three groups of people who are at high risk for foodborne
illness
Overview
The primer offers 2.75 hours of Category I Continuing Medical
Education for physicians, and 3.3 for nurses. The participant
will be required to read and study the printed document, either
via hard copy or online, take a test, and complete an evaluation.
Certificates will be awarded via mail for those who mail-in
completed evaluation forms.
The Foodborne Primer includes the following materials:
- Introduction and Clinical Considerations: how to recognize,
diagnose, treat, and report foodborne illnesses
- Foodborne Illness Tables: summary of diagnostic features
and laboratory testing for bacterial, viral, parasitic,
and noninfectious causes of foodborne illness.
- Patient Scenarios: learning scenarios on foodborne illnesses
with questions and answers. The nine scenarios are: antibiotic-resistant
Salmonella, Botulism, E. coli O157:H7, Enterotoxigenic E.
coli, hepatitis A infection, Listeria monocytogenes, norovirus
infection, toxoplasmosis, and unexplained illness.
- Clinical Vignettes: quick clinical situations to challenge
the health care professional
- Patient Education Information: food safety information
sheet for patients
- Suggested food safety resources and reading list: online
resources and reading list for general food safety information
and for specific foodborne agents.
- CME exam to be submitted to CDC/MMWR for continuing medical
education credits
- Program evaluation form that allows participants to comment
on the primer
Obtaining The Primer
The Primer is available online in Adobe PDF format at http://www.ama-assn.org/go/foodborne
and through the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
American Medical Association (AMA)
Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne Illnesses
Attention: L.J. Tan, PhD
American Medical Association
515 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-464-5046
Email: srt@ama-assn.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Julia Smith, MS, MPH
1600 Clifton Road, NE
MS A49
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 404-371-5378
Email: jsmith6@cdc.gov
Food and Drug Administration
Eileen Parish, MD
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food Safety and Security Staff
5100 Paint Branch Parkway
Room 3B007, HFS-032
College Park, MD 20740
Phone: 301-436-2126
Email: eparish@cfsan.fda.gov
United States Department of Agriculture
David Goldman, MD, MPH OPHS, HHSD
Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 334 Aerospace
Washington, DC 20250-3700
Phone: 202-690-6409
Email: David.Goldman@fsis.usda.gov
American Nurses Foundation
Debbie Lao, Project Manager
Food Safe Schools
American Nurses Foundation
600 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 100W
Washington, DC 20024
Phone: 202 651-7219
Email: Dlao@ana.org
Online Resources
American Medical Association
www.ama-assn.org/go/foodborne
CDC Food Safety
www.cdc.gov/foodsafety
FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
www.cfsan.fda.gov
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
www.fsis.usda.gov
Gateway To Government Food Safety Education
www.foodsafety.gov
Federal Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
http://www.nal.usda.gov/foodborne
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