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Maximizing extraction of botulinum toxin type A from vials
Dennis D Dykstra1, J Michael Wieting, John McGuire
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. dykst001@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Objectives:
To determine the residual botulinum toxin remaining in vials after using 3 different extraction methods and to analyze the different techniques for measuring extraction efficacy.
Design:
Multicentered comparative study.
Setting:
Three academic movement disorder clinics.
Participants:
Thirty physicians were randomly surveyed for their botulinum toxin extraction methods. Three physicians evaluated the most common methods.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure:
Amount of toxin left in vials after each extraction method.
Results:
Toxin was least successfully extracted by using the vial inversion method. More toxin was extracted by using the 2-in needle method. The top removal method produced the least waste of toxin but is considered unsafe.
Conclusions:
The best and safest method for consistently extracting the most botulinum toxin from its vial was to use a long 21-gauge 2-in needle attached to a 3-mL syringe.