The Department of Infectious Diseases Resuscitation, Central Military Hospital 108 received a 53-year-old male patient from Ninh Binh, admitted to the hospital in a state of severe tetanus. The cause originated from two small wounds on the back of the hand and thumb when working at the chicken coop - a environment with a lot of mud and animal feces.
According to family members, after being injured, the patient only treated himself at home and was given antibiotics, but was not given tetanus antidote serum (SAT). Notably, for the past 10 years, the patient has also not had a booster shot for the disease.
Only after a few days, dangerous signs began to appear. Initially, jaw stiffness, then quickly spreading to the neck, chest and abdomen. When admitted to the hospital, the patient was still awake but limited opening of the mouth, slow contact. Although SAT was injected, antibiotics and sedatives were used, muscle stiffness still progressed quickly.
After 7 hours of monitoring, the risk of respiratory failure increased, forcing doctors to intubate and open the trachea to maintain life. Currently, the patient is still being actively treated.
According to Dr. Nguyen Sy Thau - Department of Infectious Diseases Resuscitation, tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria. This bacteria exists in the form of spores that can withstand harsh conditions and can live for many years in soil, dust and animal feces.
When entering the body through wounds, even very small ones, bacteria will produce neurotoxins that cause muscle stiffness. Typical manifestations are jaw stiffness, then spreading throughout the body and can lead to respiratory failure - the most dangerous complication if not treated promptly.
Doctors recommend that people should not be subjective about any wounds, especially wounds at risk of contamination. Proper treatment and going to medical facilities for assessment and timely vaccination are key factors for disease prevention.
Tetanus does not create sustainable immunity. Therefore, even people who have had the disease still need to get vaccinated and booster-fed fully for long-term protection.
