Tetanus is an acute disease resulting from contamination of wounds with germs carried within spores . The spores carry within them bacteria that begin to grow locally in the wound itself, producing a powerful toxin that is absorbed by the body and leads to painful muscle spasms , contraction of the palate muscles, and tense spasms. This disease comes in the form of epidemics . It is not transmitted directly from person to person. 35-70% of those infected with it die from this disease. The tetanus bacterium lives in the intestines of animals and humans. A person infected with the disease does not require isolation from others, and is not subject to any quarantine. The nursery ranges from four days to three weeks (the average is ten days), and most cases occur before the fourteenth day. A person does not gain permanent immunity after recovering from the disease and can become infected again. Therefore, people should be vaccinated after recovering from the disease. Since this disease occurs at all ages, it is necessary to maintain sufficient immunity against it and generalize vaccination against tetanus for all ages. This vaccination ensures almost 100% protection from the disease, and its use also replaces the use of fortifying serum, thus avoiding allergic reactions that follow the use of such serums.
For the tetanus vaccine, toxin compounds are used as antigens ( they have the property of stimulating the secretion of antibodies ). The tetanus vaccine is given in three doses, with an interval of one to two months between each, and an alarm dose is given every eight to ten years. If a person sustains an injury, measures must be taken to prevent the occurrence of tetanus. If the person is properly immunized, all that is necessary in this case is to give a new stimulant dose within 24 hours of the injury. This procedure renews the formation of antibodies within six days, and the person remains without the need to use the tetanus vaccine. However, if the administration of the stimulant dose is delayed for more than 24 hours, or if the wound is highly contaminated, in these two cases, the stimulant dose of the vaccine must be given in addition to the required dose of the immunizing serum.
Tetanus affects newborn babies in the first days of their lives as a result of contamination of the navel when the umbilical cord is cut due to the use of unsanitized tools or unclean hands of the doctor, midwife, or nurse. This infection is very dangerous for the child. For these reasons, prevention of tetanus includes health awareness directed to the public in general, and to midwives and nurses, with a focus on the effectiveness of immunization and methods of using toxoid and fortifying serum. Prevention also includes vaccinating the pregnant woman and giving her a stimulant dose in case she is immune.
treatment
A person suffering from tetanus is treated by giving him large doses of fortified serum and antibiotics, and after his recovery, he is immunized again using toxoid (tetanus vaccine).
The wound must be cleaned. The affected tissue must be removed by laparoscopic surgery. Taking the antibiotic metronidazole reduces the number of bacteria but does not affect the toxins of these bacteria. Penicillin was used in the past to treat tetanus, but it is no longer the optimal treatment due to the theoretical risk of increasing convulsions, but it is recommended to use it if metronidazole is not available. All people with tetanus should be vaccinated against this disease or given booster doses.