A case of tetanus in a previously immunized person

Tetanus is an acute infectious disease of humans and animals caused by anaerobic wound bacteria. The nervous system structural damage caused by toxin of the pathogen leads to tonic tension of the skeletal muscles and periodic generalized convulsions. If proper medical care is not provided in time, tetanus ends fatally. The incidence of tetanus is relatively low due to the widespread vaccination, but this infection can also occur in previously immunized individuals. The infection is widespread mainly in countries with a low economic level and weak health system. The tetanus poses a risk for all population segments, but the newborns and pregnant women are most vulnerable. Accor­ding to the Center for Public Health, 14 cases of tetanus were registered in Ukraine in 2022. The clinical picture of tetanus, as defined by the World Health Organization, includes painful muscle contractions, risus sardonicus (persistent spasm of facial muscles) and trismus (inability to open the mouth). Such patients have a history of trauma or damage to soft tissues, skin or mucous membranes. However, tetanus is a disease with multiple lesions, because in addition to the nervous system, the cardiovascular, respiratory and other systems are involved in the process. In the treatment, it is important to promptly introduce specific human tetanus immunoglobulin, perform debridement, antibiotic therapy and situational therapy. However, it should be borne in mind that the most effective and important direction is tetanus vaccination. The article presents a clinical case of tetanus in an 18-year-old pre-immunized patient who was admitted to a district hospital as a result of an injury. The purpose of publishing this case is to remind physicians to be alert for tetanus. In addition, the authors wanted to emphasize the risk of developing the disease even in previously vaccinated patients. The presence of prior vaccination and a high level of antitoxic antibodies cannot rule out a diagnosis of tetanus.