20 世纪 40 年代出现的现代机械通气使肉毒杆菌中毒患者的死亡率从 20 世纪初的 60% 到 70% 下降到如今的 3% 到 5%。[64]Gangarosa EJ, Donadio JA, Armstrong RW, et al. Botulism in the United States, 1899-1969. Am J Epidemiol. 1971;93:93-101.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4925448?tool=bestpractice.com[65]Varma JK, Katsitadze G, Moiscrafishvili M, et al. Signs and symptoms predictive of death in patients with foodborne botulism - Republic of Georgia, 1980-2002. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:357-362.http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/3/357.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15307002?tool=bestpractice.com婴儿肉毒杆菌中毒的死亡率<1%。[27]Arnon S. Infant botulism. In: Feigen RD, Cherry JD, eds. Textbook of pediatric infectious diseases. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 1998:570-577.尽管在肉毒杆菌中毒恢复的前三个月,肌肉力量会明显改善,但发病后长达一年,肌肉力量和耐力提高会持续存在。[60]Arnon SS, Schechter R, Maslanka SE, et al. Human botulism immune globulin for the treatment of infant botulism. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:462-471.http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa051926#t=articlehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16452558?tool=bestpractice.com婴儿肉毒杆菌中毒复发的病例非常罕见,但仍有报道在症状完全消失后出现复发的病例。[66]Glauser TA, Maguire HC, Sladky JT. Relapse of infant botulism. Ann Neurol. 1990;28:187-189.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2221848?tool=bestpractice.com因此,出院后第一个月进行密切随访十分重要。肉毒杆菌中毒的远期后果包括乏力、虚弱、活动时气急和心理健康受损。[7]Gottlieb SL, Kretsinger K, Tarkhashvili N, et al. Long-term outcomes of 217 botulism cases in the Republic of Georgia. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;45:174-180.http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/45/2/174.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17578775?tool=bestpractice.com