UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Botulinum Toxin

Category: Toxicology

Keywords: botulinum toxin, paralysis, heroin (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/14/2007 by Fermin Barrueto (Updated: 11/25/2024)
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Botulinum Toxin Most potent toxin on the planet where 7 picograms IV are lethal to a human Characterized by a descending flaccid paralysis w/o fever bulbar findings 1st Weapon of Mass Destruction but also seen in the IVDA Heroin population Black Tar Heroin outbreak with necrotic ulcers that produced C. botulinum o Most recently in Washington DC 2003 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Wound botulism among black tar heroin users--Washington, 2003. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2003;52(37):885-6.