Botulinum Toxin PoisoningModule information
Prevention
Screening
Diagnosis
Consultation for Diagnosis
Hospitalization
Non-drug Therapy
Drug Therapy
Patient Education
Consultation for Management
Follow-up

Tables
References
Glossary
What's New
Patient Information
Guidelines and Systematic Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Prevention
What can be done to ensure food safety?
What is the role of epidemiology, and what happens when it involves possible weapons of bioterrorism?
What is the role in primary prevention in laboratory workers and the military?
Diagnosis
What are the key symptoms of botulism and how does it differ from Guillain-Barré syndrome and myasthenia gravis?
How is the diagnosis confirmed?
What is the role of electrophysiology?
Consultation for Diagnosis
What is the role of the neurologist in diagnosing botulinum toxin poisoning?
What type of weakness is characteristic?
What can be done to exclude other disease processes that mimic botulinum toxin poisoning?
Hospitalization
What is the length of hospitalization for botulinum toxin poisoning?
What supportive care may be needed?
How does antitoxin treatment change the course of disease?
Non-drug Therapy
What is the role of ventilation therapy in botulinum toxin poisoning?
What is the role of nutritional support?
How soon will the patient recover strength?
Drug Therapy
What does the equine antitoxin do?
When is it important to give the antitoxin?
What are the risks of the equine antitoxin?
Patient Education
What can be done to educate the public about foodborne illness?
How common would botulinum toxin poisoning be in a terrorist attack?
How is botulinum toxin deactivated in foods?
Consultation for Management
What is the role of nerve conduction studies?
What is the need for intensive support such as ventilation and nutrition?
How long might a patient be weak after botulinum toxin poisoning?
Follow-up
How long will the weakness persist?
Can any medication alleviate the weakness after it occurs?
How long does regeneration of the nerve end plate take to occur?
| Patient Information
The American College of Physicians is accredited by the Accreditation Council for continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education for physicians. The American College of Physicians designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Purpose: This activity has been developed for internists to facilitate the highest quality professional work in clinical applications, teaching, consultation, or research. Upon completion of the CME activity, participants should be able to demonstrate an increase in the skills and knowledge required to maintain competence, strengthen their habits of critical inquiry and balanced judgement, and to contribute to better patient care. Disclosures: Larry E. Davis, MD, FACN, FACP received honorarium from Merck & Co., provided expert testimony, received grants from the VA, NIH, and the University of New Mexico, received royalties from Fundamentals of Neurologic Disease. Deborah Korenstein, MD, FACP, Co-Editor, PIER, has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations. Richard B. Lynn, MD, FACP, Co-Editor, PIER, has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations.


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