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Botulism - Medical Negligence Compensation
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Botulism is not common but if it happens, it can be severe. It is caused by the body dealing with toxins due to a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.
Botulism comes in three varieties. There is infant botulism that happens between the ages of 2-6 months and occurs when the bacterium grows inside the intestinal tract of a baby. If the bacterium comes from food, it is called food-borne botulism and can happen when food is improperly canned. Wound botulism happens when the bacteria get inside a wound or cut and can cause the toxin to leak inside the body. Botulism of all varieties is potentially so severe that they can cause death. This means that you need immediate and effective treatment in order to save your life.
The signs of foodborne botulism occur between 12 and 36 hours after you obtain the toxin in your body. Infant botulism occurs if the infant takes in honey or other unprocessed food. If you have wound botulism, the disease occurs about ten days after getting the infection through the wound.
The signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism and wound botulism are about the same. People with this condition experience problems speaking and swallowing, blurry vision, facial weakness, trouble breathing, droopy eyelids, nausea, vomiting and cramps (in foodborne illnesses) and body paralysis.
If there is infant botulism, one of the first signs is constipation, followed by floppiness, irritability, a weakened cry, drooping eyelids, drooling, paralysis and feeding problems.
The cause of botulism is the infection and buildup of toxins from the botulism bacterium. In infant botulism, spores of Clostridium botulinum are taken up from the food and take over the intestinal tract. Honey is a common source of infant botulism but it can be food contaminated with soil that is, in turn, contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria. In foodborne illnesses, it is often caused by improperly storing canned beans, corn and beets, among other foods. Fermented seafood can cause botulism as can eating chili peppers, oil and garlic or baked potatoes. In wound botulism, a dirty wound can cause botulism, especially if it isn't cleaned out properly.
There are several complications of botulism as it can affect the whole body. The biggest complication is an inability to breathe due to paralysis, which can end in death. You can also have problems with speaking, swallowing and with weakness that lasts longer than the infection itself.
The diagnosis of botulism can be complicated because the bacteria are anaerobic and you need anaerobic culture conditions to grow the bacteria. The doctor will be able to see muscle weakness or outright paralysis of the body, including the voice and the face. There may be a history of eating foods common to botulism. This includes the eating of honey in infant botulism. The toxin can be found in the vomit or in the stool but it takes a while to get the results back and treatment should begin as soon as possible.
Doctors will clear out the digestive system if the botulinum toxin has been ingested. This means inducing vomiting and using laxatives to clear out the bowel of the toxin and the bacteria. If you have wound botulism, the wound may have to be surgically excised to keep it clean. There is an anti-toxin for botulism that can be given to counteract the toxin. It doesn't seem to work well in infant botulism, however. If there are problems breathing, you may need assistance in breathing such as a ventilator to help the airways open and exchange oxygen when your muscles can't make the lungs expand on their own. After the infection is over with, you'll need rehabilitation for speech and for strength and swallowing so you can eventually recover from the illness.