WOUND BOTULISM ASSOCIATED WITH BLACK TAR HEROIN

Citation
Mw. Anderson et al., WOUND BOTULISM ASSOCIATED WITH BLACK TAR HEROIN, Academic emergency medicine, 4(8), 1997, pp. 805-809
Citations number
14
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Emergency Medicine & Critical Care
Journal title
ISSN journal
1069-6563
Volume
4
Issue
8
Year of publication
1997
Pages
805 - 809
Database
ISI
SICI code
1069-6563(1997)4:8<805:WBAWBT>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
The incidence of wound botulism is increasing and the epidemiology of the disease is changing. The majority of new cases are associated with injection drug use, in particular, the use of Mexican black tar heroi n. This case report and discussion of wound botulism illustrate the fo llowing important points: Dysphagia, dysphonia, diplopia, and descendi ng paralysis, in association with injection drug use, should alert the treating physician to the possibility of wound botulism, In such pati ents, the onset of respiratory failure may be sudden and without clini cally obvious signs of respiratory weakness. For the reported patient, maximum inspiratory force measurements were the only reliable indicat or of respiratory muscle weakness, This is a measurement not routinely performed in the ED, but may prove essential for patients with suspec ted wound botulism. To minimize the effect of the botulinum toxin and to decrease length of hospital stay, antitoxin administration and surg ical wound debridement should be performed early.