BOTULINUM TOXICITY IN INFANT THE FIRST SUCESSFULLY TREATMENT CASE IN VIETNAM

Tóm tắt

Overview: Botulism infants is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by ingestion of
Clostridium botulinum spores, which germinate, multiply in the large intestine and produce neurotoxins to the body [1]. The disease occur in children under 12 months [2]. This is a rare form of infection in Vietnamese infants. The key features of presentation were acute onset of bilateral cranial nerve palsies and symmetrical descending weakness in the absence of fever. But sometime, patients have vague symptoms such as decreased muscle tone, poor feeding. This report will present a case of a 10-month-old admitted to the hospital with acute generalized hypotonia and aspiration. Objectives: Approach to diagnosis and treatment of botulism infants. Case study: A 10-month-old female was admitted to the Vietnam National Childrens Hospital (VNCH) because of difficulty sucking and swallowing. These signs were acute onset 2 days before.
The child had very little interaction, crying hoarsely, no tears and symmetrical descending
weakness. The clinical diagnosis of botulism was confi rmed through the identifi cation of
C. botulinumtoxin from the stool sample. The patient was given a single dose of botulinum
antitoxin and she had fully recovered.
Conclusion: Due to its rarity, diagnosing botulism is a challenge, demanding high clinical suspicion. Successful outcomes depend upon early recognition and rapid initiation of specific treatment with botulinum antitoxin. There is a need to improve global access to antitoxin. These case, the fi rst botulism infant in Viet Nam, serve as a reminder of the need to diff erential diagnosis with other acute peripheral paralysis.