Ophthalmologic Manifestations of Botulism Medication
- Author: Bhupendra Patel, MD, FRCS; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy Sr, MD more...
Medication Summary
Antitoxin appears to be the only effective medication. Guanethidine has been used and shown to be not effective, despite reports of improvement in accommodative paresis.
In infant botulism, intravenous therapy with botulism immune globulin (BIG), which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003, is recommended to shorten the duration and to diminish the potential complications.
Antitoxins
Class Summary
Trivalent (types A, B, and E) equine botulism antitoxin should be used in the presence of food-borne botulism.
Botulinum antitoxin
Intravenous administration of one vial of botulism antitoxin results in serum levels of type A, B, and E antibodies capable of neutralizing serum toxin concentrations in excess of those reported for botulism patients. Circulating antitoxins have a half-life of 5-8 days.
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