SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.27 issue1Cetamina em Cuidados Paliativos Oncológicos: Um Desafio Experiência de um Serviço author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Medicina Interna

Print version ISSN 0872-671X

Abstract

CARVALHO, Catarina; ALBUQUERQUE, Alexandra  and  CAMPANTE, Fátima. Tetanus: Still a Threat: Clinical Case Report. Medicina Interna [online]. 2020, vol.27, n.1, pp.30-33. ISSN 0872-671X.  https://doi.org/10.24950/CC/86/19/1/2020.

Tetanus is a potentially fatal disease, preventable through vaccination, caused by neurotoxins produced by Clostridium tetani, which cease inhibitory neurotransmission. It presents a symptomatic triad: stiffness, muscular spasms and autonomic dysfunction. The therapeutic approach is essentially symptomatic, including wound cleaning, benzodiazepines, neuromuscular blockade, ventilatory support and antibiotic therapy. We present the clinical case of a 79-year-old female patient, with outdated tetanus vaccine, admitted in the context of an injury to the left wrist, without prophylaxis with tetanus immunoglobulin. Reassessed in the emergency 5 days after the event with trismus, opisthotonos, respiratory failure and dysautonomia. We proceeded to wound cleaning, immunoglobulin and antibiotic therapy administration, sedation, ventilatory support and we transferred the patient to an intensive care unit. It was a case without prophylaxis, showing that tetanus is still a threat that should alert us all to the immunological situation and compliance with the national vaccination plan.

Keywords : Clostridium tetani; Tetanus/complications; Tetanus/drug therapy; Spasm.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License