Clostridium Botulinum is a spore-forming gram-positive rod that is commonly found in soil and water. It produces a toxin called botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) which is one of the most potent toxins known to mankind. Christian Andreas Justinus Kerner published the first case of botulism in 1817 and called it “sausage poison”. He noted that it paralyzed the skeletal muscle function and the parasympathetic nervous system and proposed its use as a therapeutic agent in neurological diseases characterized by involuntary movements. This book is intended to be used as a quick and accessible reference for injectors during the course of their clinical practice. As practitioners of chemodenervation themselves, the authors have been looking for an up-to-date, uniform resource in a convenient format which is ultimately what lead them to writing this pocketbook. The inclusion of visual and textual information for executing injection localization and suggested dosing for the four commercially-available toxins makes this book a unique, one-stop resource. The author’s goal is that both novice and experienced injectors may use this pocketbook as a practical and evidence-based tool in the course of planning and executing injections As educators, this book will serve as a visual adjunct to bedside teaching. The authors of this book are all directly involved in educating medical trainees in the evaluation and management of spasticity. Despite a robust spasticity curriculum and hands-on experience, we still felt a need for a physical resource to help residents and fellows during the course of their training and as they started their careers. For novice injectors and medical trainees, performing botulinum toxin injections can seem daunting. The authors hope is, that with the use of this book, knowledge can be consolidated into an accessible format, allowing providers to reinforce and sharpen previously learned skills.
