Author:
Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation:
3 August 2021
Update Date:
22 June 2024
Content
Botulism poisoning is caused by toxin from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The bacteria can enter the body through the digestive tract or injure the skin. Once in the body, the bacteria will be absorbed by the blood and spread to all organs and systems in the body, possibly causing death. Poisoning in adults is rare and is often caused by food poisoning, mainly from canned foods, or, more rarely, through wounds caused by an infected object or wound. dirty soil. To determine whether or not you have Botulism poisoning, you need to recognize the signs and symptoms and get a professional diagnosis.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Symptom assessment
Pay attention if you feel muscle weakness or are unable to move. Difficulty performing coordinated movements such as walking is a common sign of botulism poisoning. Muscle strength is also lost when the body becomes infected with the botulism bacteria.
- Usually, the weakness in muscle strength spreads from the shoulders to the arms, down to the legs. Toxins affect the nervous system, affect both voluntary and involuntary nervous system functions, causing progressive paralysis, ie paralysis from head down to toes.
- The paralysis occurs symmetrically, which affects both sides of the body at the same time, unlike neurological symptoms when a stroke affects only one side of the body.
- Muscle weakness is one of the first symptoms and manifests itself as difficulty talking, difficulty seeing, and difficulty breathing.
- These symptoms are all caused by toxins affecting the nerves and receptors that control organs and muscles.
Try speaking and see if you stutter. Speech is affected by neurotoxins produced by C. botulinum bacteria, which can affect the center in the brain that controls speech. When these cranial nerves are affected, it can cause problems with speech and mouth movement.- Neurotoxins affect the 11 and 12 cranial nerves - the nerve responsible for speech.
Look in the mirror to see if your eyelids are drooping. Eyelid drooping (or droopy eyelid) occurs due to a neurotoxin affecting the number 3 cranial nerve - responsible for eye movement, pupil size, and eyelid movement. The pupils of the Botulsim poisoning person dilate and their vision becomes blurred.- Eyelid drooping may occur in one or both eyes.
Take a deep breath to see if it is difficult or short of breath. Breathing problems can occur due to the effects of bacteria on the respiratory system. The neurotoxin Botulism can impair the respiratory system's muscles and impair gas metabolism.- This damage can cause respiratory failure and breathing problems.
Vision test for blurred vision or double vision. Blurred vision and double vision (double vision) can occur when bacteria damage the number 2 cranial nerve. This nerve is responsible for vision, which carries images to the brain.
Evaluate your newborn symptoms differently. In babies, progressive muscle weakness can make them "limp" like a "cloth doll". In addition, other symptoms, such as difficulty feeding, little feeding, may occur due to impaired ability of the baby's muscles to breastfeed or bottle feed.
- Other symptoms in infants include: weak crying, dehydration, and reduced tear production.
- The underdeveloped immune system cannot increase the immune response to this spore, so the spores germinate in the digestive system and secrete toxins.
Method 2 of 4: Reception of professional reviews
See your doctor if you notice any of the above symptoms. Botulism poisoning is a serious illness and it is extremely important to see your doctor as soon as you suspect a bacterial infection.
- These symptoms usually appear 18-36 hours after exposure to Botulinus bacteria.
- Get medical attention as soon as you feel symptoms.
Get a physical exam for a preliminary diagnosis. After you notice symptoms of Botulism poisoning, you should immediately go to the hospital to be examined and diagnosed by a doctor.
The doctor will observe additional symptoms, including: decreased or less tears, dilated pupils, decreased tendon reflexes, excessively dry mouth, urinary retention due to inability to clear the bladder, loss of ability to perform basic functions such as walking, talking and movements combination. In addition, when examining the abdominal area, the abdomen will swell and reduce or no sound of bowel movement.
- Infants may have symptoms of generalized hypotonia (decreased muscle strength).
- In severe cases, the patient may suffer from respiratory failure or hypoxemia (low oxygen concentration).
- Your doctor may ask you if you have any open wounds or have consumed any contaminated food within 24-48 hours.
Receive series of diagnostic tests to determine botulism poisoning. Your doctor may perform one or more diagnostic tests to confirm Botulism poisoning.
- Laboratory tests: Test samples of vomit, saliva, nasal-stomach secretions, feces, blood or food with suspected Botulinum C infection.
- Electromyography: Electromyography will describe the condition of the neuromuscular system and assist in confirming the diagnosis. Electromyography usually consists of 2 parts: neurotransmitter studies (using electrodes glued to the skin to evaluate motor neurons) and electrode needle testing (using fine needles inserted into the muscle to evaluate electrical activity produced by muscles.
- X-ray: An X-ray of the abdomen will show "intestinal effects due to paralysis", or a lack of normal gastric motility, leading to distension in the small intestine. In addition, the doctor may perform lumbar tube puncture to rule out other causes of symptoms in the patient.
Method 3 of 4: Treatment of Botulism poisoning
Symptomatic treatment of botulism is dangerous. Respiratory tract should be controlled when the oxygen level in the patient's body is low (regardless of the cause). The snorkel and snorkel will be used in extreme cases.
- In some cases, a nasogastric tube will be needed to suck up gastric and nasal fluids. The patient will also be fed with supportive methods.
Reduce the amount of toxins. If the patient is awake and most importantly still has a sound of bowel movement, the doctor may consider using an enema solution or antiemetic medication cautiously to reduce the amount of toxins. In addition, a bladder catheter can also be used to drain urine because toxins can cause urinary retention.
- The antitoxin is available for children over 1 year and adults in the event that the diagnosis of Botulism poisoning is confirmed.
- Antidote is used only in case of botulism poisoning from the wound.
Wound treatment (if necessary). The doctor or surgeon needs to disinfect the wound that is causing botulism through spraying and opening the nest. In addition, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic (high dose penicillin) and an antitoxin. advertisement
Method 4 of 4: Botulism poisoning prevention
Use proper technique when canning food and dispose of expired food properly. Throw out canned foods that have dented or blistered. This step is especially important for home canned foods like jam.
Do not give honey or corn syrup to babies under 1 year old. These products can carry the Botulism bacteria. Most adults may not be affected, but honey and corn syrup can affect babies because they have weaker immune systems.
- According to statistics, each year, in the US there are about 115 cases of botulism poisoning in babies. Experts give warnings when giving pure honey to children under 1 year old, but in fact, honey is only the cause of 15% of poisoning. For 85% of the poisoning cases, the cause is not known, but is thought to be due to contaminated food, corn syrup or some cross-contamination from a caregiver who came into contact with the spores.
Clean the wound on the skin with warm water and soap. Cover the wound when going outdoors. If you suspect that your wound is infected with Botulism, you should see your doctor immediately.
- Farmers and workers need to wash all soiled clothing with hot water and detergent.
- Botulism poisoning from wounds can also occur in people who receive regular intravenous needles. Therefore, you need to use needles correctly or avoid using needles.
Advice
- A German doctor recorded food poisoning cases involving improper handling of sausage and has since discovered Botulism toxin. In an attempt to determine the cause of the toxin, he injected the toxin himself. He named this toxin "Botulus", based on the Latin name of the sausage.
