Abstract
Background
In the post-vaccination era, as it is today, generalized tetanus is a rare diagnosis, although mortality and morbidity continue to increase significantly throughout the world. Infection occurs when the Clostridium tetani spores are introduced into wounds, skin lesions and infections. The symptoms often begin with stiffness or spasms in the jaw muscles; they are called trismus or “lockjaw” and/or then spread to the neck and abdominal muscles.
Case presentation
This is a report of a 42-year-old man who was referred to the hospital with dysphagia, rigidity and trismus. He was diagnosed with generalized tetanus with a Philips score of 15. The patient was admitted to the isolation unit, received treatment that included procaine penicillin, metronidazole, diazepam, human tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG) and anti-tetanus serum (ATS). Treatment was considered according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, and also, the drug dose has no adverse event reaction during the treatment.
Conclusion
The therapeutic response is related to the identification and appropriate treatment, especially in hospitalized patients with inadequate immunization so that patients recover soon.
Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: Research involving human subjects complied with all relevant national regulations and institutional policies, is in accordance with the tenets of the Helsinki Declaration (as revised in 2013).
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