Do High-Risk Patients with Infected Puncture Wounds Get Appropriate Tetanus Prophylaxis?

Background: To evaluate clinicians' compliance to follow national guidelines for tetanus vaccination prophylaxis in high-risk foot patients. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 114 consecutive patients between June 2011 and March 2019 who presented with a foot infection resulting from a puncture injury through the emergency department. Eighty-three patients had diabetes mellitus and 31 patients did not have diabetes mellitus. Electronic medical records were used to collect a broad range of study data on patient demographics, previous medical history, previous tetanus immunization history and tetanus status upon presentation to the emergency department (ED), peripheral arterial disease, sensory neuropathy, laboratory values, and clinical / surgical outcomes. Results: 46.5% of the patients who presented to the ED with a puncture wound did not have up-to-date tetanus immunization. Of those patients, 79.2% received a tetanus-containing vaccine booster, 3.8% received intramuscular tetanus immunoglobulins (TIG), 3.8% received both tetanus-containing vaccine booster and TIG, and 20.8% received no form of tetanus prophylaxis. When comparing data between patients with and without diabetes, there were no statistical significant differences in tetanus prophylaxis. Conclusion: Guidelines for tetanus prophylaxis amongst high-risk foot patients in this study center are not followed in all patients. Patients with DM are at high risks of exposure to tetanus, we recommend physicians to take a detailed tetanus immunization history and vaccinate them if tetanus history is unclear.

Emergency immunoprophylaxis of tetanus in the practice of specialists with secondary medical education

The article is devoted to an urgent problem of public health, i.e. ensuring the quality and safety of emergency tetanus immunization. The issues of storage of immunobiological drugs are considered. The technology of administration of tetanus toxoid and anti-tetanus serum is presented.

Cross-Reactive Effects of Vaccines: Heterologous Immunity between Tetanus and Chlamydia

Vaccines can have heterologous effects on the immune system, i.e., effects other than triggering an immune response against the disease targeted by the vaccine. We investigated whether monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for tetanus could cross-react with Chlamydia and confer heterologous protection against chlamydial infection. The capability of two tetanus-specific mAbs, namely mAb26 and mAb51, to prevent chlamydial infection has been assessed: (i) in vitro, by performing a neutralization assay using human conjunctival epithelial (HCjE) cells infected with Chlamydia trachomatis serovar B, and (ii) in vivo, by using a guinea pig model of Chlamydiacaviae-induced inclusion conjunctivitis. The mAb26 has been superior in comparison with mAb51 in the prevention of chlamydial infection in HCjE cells. The mAb26 has conferred ≈40% inhibition of the infection, compared to less than 5% inhibition in the presence of the mAb51. In vivo, mAb26 significantly diminished ocular pathology intensity in guinea pigs infected with C. caviae compared to either the mAb51-treated or sham-treated guinea pigs. Our data provide insights that tetanus immunization generates antibodies which induce heterologous chlamydial immunity and promote protection beyond the intended target pathogen.

Multicenter Study of Tetanus Patients in Fujian Province of China: A Retrospective Review of 95 Cases

Background. Tetanus is a life-threatening disease in developing countries and is accompanied by a high mortality rate. Although China is the world’s largest developing country, there have been few clinical studies on tetanus in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiology, incidence, and management of tetanus in Fujian Province and to understand the current treatment and prognosis of tetanus patients. Methods. This was a retrospective, multicenter observational study of patients who presented with a clinical diagnosis of tetanus at 5 general hospitals in Fujian from January 2008 to December 2018. Data were analyzed using a computer software system. Results. A total of 95 patients were recruited, including 6 newborns. The average age of the adult tetanus patients was 55.53±15.39 years old. None of the patients knew their previous history of tetanus immunization. The rate of having received human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTIG) was 9.47%. A total of 73 (76.84%) patients were cured, 17 (17.89%) patients had an unknown prognosis, and 5 (5.26%) patients died. Age, severity of illness, and complications all increased the total duration of hospitalization. Compared with endotracheal intubation, tracheotomy increased the length of stay in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) but did not affect the total hospital length of stay for mechanical ventilation. Conclusions. With the promotion of nationwide immunization against tetanus and the development of critical care medicine, morbidity and mortality rates of tetanus in Fujian are low. It is important to increase awareness among local physicians and staff in charge of tetanus immunization programs and with regard to neonatal tetanus and drug-induced tetanus. The prevention and treatment of tetanus in developing countries should arouse widespread concern in society.

Tetanus Neonatorum in the Bethesda Hospital Y ogyakarta

Thirty cases of tetanus neonatorum admitted to the Bethesda Hospital Yogyakarta, from January through December 1974, were analyzed. Twenty seven cases (90%) were born at home attended by traditional midwives, 2 (6.7%) were delivered at home attended by midwives while 1 (3.3%) was born in the obstetric ward of the hospital. The fatality rate is high. The possible cause of neonatal tetanus in these cases might be the delivery at home by traditional midwives and the application of contaminated materials such as traditional medicines on the umbilical stump. Tetanus neonatorum is an important cause of neonatal death in rural areas. The cost of treatment of tetanus neonatorum is much higher than the cost of antenatal tetanus immunization, which is one of the practical effective and safe methods in preventing tetanus neonatorum.