PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Jailhouse wine is not as delicious as it sounds, could be deadly

2013-12-13
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Julie Lloyd
jlloyd@acep.org
202-370-9292
American College of Emergency Physicians
Jailhouse wine is not as delicious as it sounds, could be deadly WASHINGTON — In a case series seemingly tailor-made for cinematic tragedy or farce, emergency physicians report severe botulism poisoning from a batch of potato-based "wine" (also known as pruno) cooked up in a Utah prison. The study was published online Tuesday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Emergency Department Identification and Critical Care Management of a Utah Prison Botulism Outbreak") .

"Evidently the incorporation of an old baked potato in the pruno recipe allowed botulism to develop," said Megan Fix, MD, of the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "The patient who cooked the wine had cooked this recipe approximately 20 times previously without a potato, but his decision to experiment sickened him and seven other inmates. The patients' initial reluctance to confess their consumption of pruno could have been deadly since botulism requires fast intervention."

Eight patients came to the emergency department from a Utah prison with trouble swallowing, double vision, difficulty speaking and weakness approximately 54 hours after ingestion of the potato-based pruno. The amount of pruno prisoners consumed varied greatly, with some patients reportedly ingesting over two gallons. The three most severely affected patients had respiratory failure and were intubated.

Because botulism anti-toxin is held in stockpiles around the country by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in case of bioterrorism attack, the process of obtaining the anti-toxin takes some time. In this case it took about 9 hours from suspicion of diagnosis to administration of the anti-toxin. All patients received botulism anti-toxin within 12 hours from being admitted to the ED.

Foodborne botulism poisoning is extremely rare, with a typical incidence of about 20 cases per year in the United States.

"The CDC is the only source for botulism anti-toxin," said Dr. Fix. "However, there are a number of steps involved in obtaining it. The CDC recommends that emergency physicians treat patients first, if botulism is suspected, rather than waiting for a positive test. Therefore it's important to contact the CDC to obtain the anti-toxin based on clinical suspicion as we can't treat the disease without having the anti-toxin in hand!"

### Annals of Emergency Medicine is the peer-reviewed scientific journal for the American College of Emergency Physicians, the national medical society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research, and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.acep.org.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Duke engineers make strides toward artificial cartilage

2013-12-13
Duke engineers make strides toward artificial cartilage Composite material closest yet to properties of the real thing DURHAM, N.C. -- A Duke research team has developed a better recipe for synthetic replacement cartilage in joints. Combining two innovative technologies ...

Marine biologists unmask species diversity in coral reefs

2013-12-13
Marine biologists unmask species diversity in coral reefs Rising water temperatures due to climate change are putting coral reefs in jeopardy, but a surprising discovery by a team of marine biologists suggests that very similar looking coral species differ in how they survive ...

From friend to foe: How benign bacteria evolve to virulent pathogens

2013-12-13
From friend to foe: How benign bacteria evolve to virulent pathogens Bacteria can evolve rapidly to adapt to environmental change. When the "environment" is the immune response of an infected host, this evolution can turn harmless bacteria into life-threatening ...

Physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease

2013-12-13
Physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease. Washington, DC (December 12, 2013) — Increased physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease, ...

Diet and physical activity may affect one's risk of developing kidney stones

2013-12-13
Diet and physical activity may affect one's risk of developing kidney stones Even small amounts of exercise provide benefits Washington, DC (December 12, 2013) — Even small amounts of physical activity may decrease the risk of developing kidney stones, according ...

Astronomers discover first noble gas molecules in space

2013-12-13
Astronomers discover first noble gas molecules in space Noble gas molecules have been detected in space for the first time in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, by astronomers at UCL. Led by Professor Mike Barlow (UCL Department of Physics & Astronomy) ...

Using air transportation data to predict pandemics

2013-12-13
Using air transportation data to predict pandemics Computational model demonstrates how disease spreads in a highly connected world Computational work conducted at Northwestern University has led to a new mathematical theory for understanding the global spread ...

Many older Americans rely on people, devices, other strategies to get by

2013-12-13
Many older Americans rely on people, devices, other strategies to get by ANN ARBOR— Only about a third of Americans ages 65 and older are fully able to take care of themselves and go about their daily lives completely independently, according to a new study ...

James Bond's preference for shaken martinis may be due to alcohol-induced tremor, say experts

2013-12-13
James Bond's preference for shaken martinis may be due to alcohol-induced tremor, say experts Famous spy drinks over 4 times the recommended weekly alcohol limit James Bond's alcohol consumption may explain why he prefers his martinis "shaken, not ...

Should your surname carry a health warning?

2013-12-13
Should your surname carry a health warning? Research: The Brady Bunch? New evidence for nominative determinism in patients' health: Retrospective, population based cohort study Patients named Brady could be at an increased risk of requiring a pacemaker compared ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Modesty and boastfulness – perception depends on usual performance

Do sweeteners increase your appetite? New evidence from randomised controlled trial says no 

Women with obesity do not need to gain weight during pregnancy, new study suggests

Individuals with multiple sclerosis face substantially greater risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19, despite high rates of vaccination

Study shows obesity in childhood associated with a more than doubling of risk of developing multiple sclerosis in early adulthood

Rice Emerging Scholars Program receives $2.5M NSF grant to boost STEM education

Virtual rehabilitation provides benefits for stroke recovery

Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Biofuels could help island nations survive a global catastrophe, study suggests

NJIT research team discovering how fluids behave in nanopores with NSF grant

New study shows association of historical housing discrimination and shortfalls in colon cancer treatment

Social media use may help to empower plastic surgery patients

Q&A: How to train AI when you don't have enough data

Wayne State University researchers uncover potential treatment targets for Zika virus-related eye abnormalities

Discovering Van Gogh in the wild: scientists unveil a new gecko species

Small birds spice up the already diverse diet of spotted hyenas in Namibia

Imaging detects transient “hypoxic pockets” in the mouse brain

Dissolved organic matter could be used to track and improve the health of freshwaters

Indoor air quality standards in public buildings would boost health and economy, say international experts

Positive associations between premenstrual disorders and perinatal depression

New imaging method illuminates oxygen's journey in the brain

Researchers discover key gene for toxic alkaloid in barley

New approach to monitoring freshwater quality can identify sources of pollution, and predict their effects

Bidirectional link between premenstrual disorders and perinatal depression

Cell division quality control ‘stopwatch’ uncovered

Vaccine protects cattle from bovine tuberculosis, may eliminate disease

Andrew Siemion to receive the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award

New study shows how the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus enters our cells

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy proves effective for locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma

Study flips treatment paradigm in bilateral Wilms tumor, shows resistance to chemotherapy may point toward favorable outcomes

[Press-News.org] Jailhouse wine is not as delicious as it sounds, could be deadly