BOTULISM ANTITOXIN

Course overview

BOTULINUM ANTITOXIN, ALSO KNOWN AS BOTULISM ANTITOXIN, IS COMPRISED OF ANTIBODIES OR ANTIBODY ANTIGEN-BINDING FRAGMENTS THAT BLOCK THE NEUROTOXIN PRODUCED BY THE BACTERIAL SPECIES CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM. BOTULINUM TOXIN CAUSES BOTULISM, A PARALYTIC SYNDROME CLASSICALLY CHARACTERIZED BY SYMPTOMS OF DESCENDING SYMMETRIC MUSCLE WEAKNESS. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE BLURRY VISION, INABILITY TO SPEAK OR SWALLOW, AND WEAKNESS IN THE BILATERAL UPPER EXTREMITIES WITH PROGRESSION TO THE CHEST AND LOWER EXTREMITIES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE MECHANISM OF ACTION, ADVERSE EVENT PROFILE, TOXICITY, DOSING, PHARMACODYNAMICS, AND MONITORING OF BOTULISM ANTITOXIN, PERTINENT FOR MEMBERS OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BOTULISM POISONING.