2. what is tetanus?
Tetanus is an acute, often-fatal disease of the
nervous system that is caused by nerve toxins
produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani.
this bacterium is found throughout the world in
the soil and in animal and human intestines.
3. where they grow
Contaminated wounds
Deep wounds
devitalized (dead) tissue
Puncture wounds, such as caused by nails
insect bites
burns
injection-drug sites
by means of the uterus after delivery
through the umbilical cord stump
4. how tetanus damages body
T.T. affects neuromuscular junction.
T.T. amplifies the chemical signal fm nerve to the
muscle, which causes the muscles to spasm.
This results in either localized or generalized muscle
spasms.
T.T can affect neonates to cause muscle spasms,
inability to nurse, and seizures.
This typically occurs within the first two weeks after
birth due to poor sanitation methods in caring for the
umbilical cord stump
because of tetanus vaccination there have few cases
of neonatal tetanus
5. IP
2 days to 2 months
commonly within 14 days of injury.
6. signs & symptoms
1-7 day period, progressive muscle spasms in
immediate wound area may progress to involve
the entire body in a set of continuous muscle
contractions.
Restlessness, headache, and irritability
muscle spasm
trismus
breathing muscles lose their power-ventilator
infections of the airways within the lungs can lead
to death.
7. Rx
antibiotics
stopping toxin production, neutralizing its effects, and
controlling muscle spasms.
Sedation is often given for muscle spasm, which can
lead to life-threatening breathing difficulty.
The toxin already circulating in the body is neutralized
with antitoxin drugs.
The tetanus toxin causes no permanent damage to
the nervous system after the patient recovers.
After recovery, patients still require active
immunization because having the tetanus disease
does not provide natural immunization against a
repeat episode.
8. Prevention
active- tetanus shots as immunization schedule
passive- TIG
in individuals who exhibit the early symptoms of
tetanus or in those whose immunization status is
unknown or significantly out of date, the tetanus
immunoglobulin (TIG) is given into the muscle
surrounding the wound with the remainder of the
dose given into the buttocks.
