The old woman had a serious tetanus after a slight scratch

MSc Tran Van Bac, Deputy Head of the Emergency Department, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that the tetanus toxin had entered the body, causing the patient to have a stiff jaw, tight mouth, and muscle spasms all over the body.

The patient was given high doses of sedation, but after only a few hours, he became worse, stopped breathing, turned blue, had to put in a breathing tube. In the following days, the generalized spasms continued to appear, convulsions persisted even with mild stimulation such as light touch or injection. “This condition appears continuously for 10 to 14 days before it tends to subside. In addition, the disease causes autonomic dysfunction, increased sputum secretion, heart rhythm disturbances, blood pressure, and the risk of death. high mortality,” said Doctor Bac.

It is known that the case of the 84-year-old female patient is just one of many tetanus patients that doctors at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases have recently received and treated.

According to Doctor Bac, tetanus is an acute infection with a mortality rate of 25-90%; Umbilical tetanus in neonates has a mortality rate of over 95%.

The disease often occurs when the body is injured such as skin pricks, lacerations, skin abrasions, burns, otitis media, surgery, miscarriage, childbirth…; incubation period 4-21 days. Pathogenic bacteria grow in the wound under anaerobic conditions, then release toxins into the blood and attack nerves and muscles. At this time, the patient has muscle spasms, from which convulsions appear, causing apnea, respiratory failure, autonomic disturbances, and cardiac arrest.

In countries that do not have an extensive tetanus vaccination program, rates of infection in infants and young people are very high. Vietnam has eliminated neonatal tetanus since 1992 (thanks to vaccination), but there are still many adults born before 1992 who have not been vaccinated.

Doctors recommend that people handle the initial wound properly to prevent tetanus. If the wound is deep, dirty, crushed, it should be cleaned with salt water or clean water, removing dirt, debris if any. With complicated wounds, bleeding, sticky soil and sand, must quickly go to a medical facility for treatment and disinfection.

Do not cover the wound if it has not been cleaned well because this is a condition that allows tetanus bacteria to grow. Check and change dressings daily. If there is an infected festering condition, remove the bandage, clean it, leave it open, or go to a medical facility to intervene to treat the wound, do not use folk methods such as applying leaves, sprinkling powder .. .

People should also take the initiative to vaccinate against tetanus when there is a bruised, deep, dirty wound, especially for a group of people who have not been fully vaccinated, or 10 years after the last dose of the vaccine. After that, repeat tetanus vaccine according to the recommendations of the vaccination unit to have full immunity against the disease.

Nguyen Lien