We examined the neurological manifestations, treatment and outcomes of a subset of 25 patients within the largest ever outbreak of wound botulism in Europe.
Methods and results
All 25 cases were intravenous drug users. The most common presenting symptom was dysarthria in 19/25 (76%), followed by dysphagia in 12/25 (48%), blurred vision in 10/25 (40%) and double vision in 8/25 (32%). Microbiological analysis confirmed the diagnosis in nine cases (36%). Duration of admission positively correlated with time to antitoxin, time to wound debridement and female sex.
Conclusion
As the outbreak continued, hospital stays shortened, reflecting growing awareness of the outbreak and quicker treatment initiation.
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