title: Emergency department identification and critical care management of a Utah prison botulism outbreak.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report botulism poisoning at a state prison after ingestion of homemade wine (pruno).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational case series with data collected retrospectively by chart review. All suspected exposures were referred to a single hospital in October 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve prisoners consumed pruno, a homemade alcoholic beverage made from a mixture of ingredients in prison environments. Four drank pruno made without potato and did not develop botulism. Eight drank pruno made with potato, became symptomatic, and were hospitalized. Presenting symptoms included dysphagia, diplopia, dysarthria, and weakness. The median time to symptom onset was 54.5 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 49-88 hours) postingestion. All 8 patients received botulinum antitoxin a median of 12 hours post-emergency department admission (IQR 8.9-18.8 hours). Seven of 8 patients had positive stool samples for type A botulinum toxin. The 3 most severely affected patients had respiratory failure and were intubated 43, 64, and 68 hours postingestion. Their maximal inspiratory force values were -5, -15, and -30 cm H2O. Their forced vital capacity values were 0.91, 2.1, and 2.2 L, whereas the 5 nonintubated patients had median maximal inspiratory force of -60 cm H2O (IQR -60 to -55) and forced vital capacity of 4.5 L (IQR 3.7-4.9). Electromyography abnormalities were observed in 1 of the nonintubated and 2 of the intubated patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A pruno-associated botulism outbreak resulted in respiratory failure and abnormal pulmonary parameters in the most affected patients. Electromyography abnormalities were observed in the majority of intubated patients. Potato in the pruno recipe was associated with botulism.
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors: Benjamin T
authors: BT
authors: Williams
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors: Sarah M
authors: SM
authors: Schlein
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors: E Martin
authors: EM
authors: Caravati
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors: Holly
authors: H
authors: Ledyard
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. Electronic address: megan.fix@hsc.utah.edu.
authors: Megan L
authors: ML
authors: Fix
mesh_terms: D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001906:Botulism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003422:Critical Care; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011330:Prisons; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014589:Utah / Q000453:epidemiology; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin