Food poisoning differential diagnosis

A clinician considers the start of diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, fever, and abdominal pain; what you ate; whether others became ill; recent travel; medicine use; and existing bowel conditions. Sudden symptoms after a shared meal can support food poisoning, but they do not confirm it.

Other possibilities include a viral stomach infection, medicine-related diarrhoea, food intolerance, or an inflammatory bowel problem. The direction is from condition to symptom: food poisoning commonly presents with diarrhoea, while diarrhoea itself does not establish food poisoning.

Write down the time symptoms began, recent meals, sick contacts, travel, medicines, stool appearance, fluid intake, and urine output. Keep drinking in small, regular amounts; oral rehydration solution is useful when stool losses are ongoing. Do not start antibiotics or anti-diarrhoeal medicine without advice, because the right choice depends on the suspected cause and your symptoms.

A clinician may examine your abdomen and hydration status. Stool testing is more likely to be considered when illness is severe, prolonged, bloody, linked to an outbreak, or important risk factors are present.

Get urgent care for blood or black stool, severe abdominal pain, confusion, fainting, severe weakness, inability to keep fluids down, or very little urine. Arrange prompt medical advice for persistent diarrhoea, ongoing fever, symptoms after antibiotics or travel, or illness in a child, older adult, pregnant person, or someone with reduced immunity.

Which causes fit my timing and symptoms? Do I need stool testing? Which medicines are safe for me? What signs would mean I need IV fluid therapy?