Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria entering the body through a wound. It produces a toxin that causes painful muscle spasms. Without treatment, tetanus has a high fatality rate of up to 60%. Symptoms include lockjaw, muscle rigidity, and spasms triggered by stimuli. Treatment focuses on controlling infection, muscle relaxation, and supportive care like oxygen and feeding tubes. Immunization provides the best prevention against tetanus.
Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria entering the body through a wound. It produces a toxin that causes painful muscle spasms. Without treatment, tetanus has a high fatality rate of up to 60%. Symptoms include lockjaw, muscle rigidity, and spasms triggered by stimuli. Treatment focuses on controlling infection, muscle relaxation, and supportive care like oxygen and feeding tubes. Immunization provides the best prevention against tetanus.
Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria entering the body through a wound. It produces a toxin that causes painful muscle spasms. Without treatment, tetanus has a high fatality rate of up to 60%. Symptoms include lockjaw, muscle rigidity, and spasms triggered by stimuli. Treatment focuses on controlling infection, muscle relaxation, and supportive care like oxygen and feeding tubes. Immunization provides the best prevention against tetanus.
Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria entering the body through a wound. It produces a toxin that causes painful muscle spasms. Without treatment, tetanus has a high fatality rate of up to 60%. Symptoms include lockjaw, muscle rigidity, and spasms triggered by stimuli. Treatment focuses on controlling infection, muscle relaxation, and supportive care like oxygen and feeding tubes. Immunization provides the best prevention against tetanus.
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TETANUS
LOCKJAW Tetanus
• Is an infectious disease caused
by Clostridium tetani which produces potent exotoxin with prominent systemic neuromuscular efforts manifested by generalized spasmodic contractions of the skeletal masculator • It is fatal up to 60 percent of unimmunized persons, usually within ten days of onset. • When symptoms develop within three days, the prognosis is poor Incubation Period
• 3 days to 3 weeks in adult and 3
to 30 days in tetanus neonatorum Etiologic Agent
• The causative organism of
the disease is CL. Tetani with following characteristics: 1. anaerobic,gram + with round terminal spore with slender body giving a drumstick appearance 2. The organism comes in two forms, spore forming and the vegetative form 3. The organism releases two types of toxin: a. Tetanospasmin that is responsible for muscle spasm b. Tetanolysin that is responsible for destruction of RBC Sources of Infection
• Animal and human feces
• Soil and dust • Plaster of paris,unsterile sutures,pins,rusty materials,scissors Mode of Transmission
• Punctured wound that is
contaminated by dust, soil or animal excreta containing Cl. Tetani Pathogenesis
• After Cl. Tetani enters the body, it
causes local infection and tissue necrosis. • While reproducing, they also release toxins that enter the bloodstream and the lymphatic's and eventually spread into the central nervous system • Or absorbed by the motor nerve ending and passes up through the axon cylinder, to the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord • This stimulates contraction of the muscles supplied by the neurons which the toxin diffuses Clinical Manifestation
• Neonate a. Newborn infants have feeding and sucking difficulty b. The infant may cry excessively,most of the time voiceless crying c. An attempt to suck results in spasm and cyanosis d. There is fever due to infection and dehydration • The jaw becomes so stiff that the baby cannot suck or swallow • Tonic and rigid muscular contraction, spasm or convulsions provoked by stimuli • Mild,short,voiceless cry • Cyanosis and pallor • May end with flaccidity, exhaustion and finally death • Older Children and Adult a. If the tetanus remains localized,signs of onset are spasm and increase muscle tone near the wound b. If it becomes systemic or generalized, indications include: hypertonicity,hyperactive deep tendon reflexes,tachycardia,profuse sweating, low grade fever, and painful involuntary muscle contractions Neck and facial muscle rigidity (trismus) Grining expressions ( risus sardonicus) Board-like abdomen/abdominal rigidity Opisthotonous Intermittent tonic convulsions In severe cases,laryngospasm followed by the accumulation of secretions in the lower airway resulting to respiratory distress due to involvement of respiratory muscles Fracture of the vertebrae c. In mild cases, after a period of weeks, spasm gradually diminishes in frequency and severity with trismus being the last symptom to disappear d. In fatal cases, death usually occurs during the first 10 days of the disease Complications
• Resulting from laryngospasm
and involvement of respiratory muscle a. Hypostatic pneumonia b. Hypoxia c. Atelectasis d. Pneumothorax • Due to trauma a. Laceration of tongue and bucal mucosa b. Intramuscular hematoma c. Fracture of the spine and ribs • Septicemia Modalities of treatment • Specific a. Within 72 hours after a punctured wound, the patient should receive ATS,TAT or TIG especially if the patient does not have any previous immunization b. Tetanus toxoid,.5 cc IM give in standard schedule c. Pen G to control infection d. Muscle relaxant to decreased muscle rigidity and spasm • Nonspecific a. Oxygen inhalation b. Feed thru NGT c. Traceostomy d. Adequate fluid, electrolyte and caloric intake e. Good nursing care Maintain adequate airway Provide cardiac monitoring Maintain an IV line for medication and emergency care Avoid stimulation Avoid contractures and pressure sores Watch out for urinary retention Close monitoring of vital signs and muscle tone Provision of optimum comfort measures Prevention and Control
• Active immunization with
tetanus toxoid for adults • DPT for babies and children The End
