Abstract

LAMBERTO, Yésica et al. Tetanus: an immunopreventable disease. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.5, pp.841-845. ISSN 0025-7680.

Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by a ubiqui tous bacterium Clostridium tetani, that synthesizes and releasesa potent neurotoxin under anaerobic conditions, which is responsible for the clinical manifestations. As it is found in soil contaminated with animal and human excreta, it is difficult to eradicate but it may be prevented by immunization.

Immunization rate has decreased in the last years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We report two cases of tetanus, attended during 2022. A 39-year-old man whose entry route was a gunshot wound and he was discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) and a second case of an 83-year-old woman with unknown entry point, who died during her ICU stay. The cases reported highlight that it is a life-threatening disease, its diagnosis is mainly clinical and it should be in the algorithm of differential diagnoses. We emphasize about the prompt treatment administration or consulta tion to a specialized healthcare center. The importance of this presentation is to show the severity of the dis ease, whose assessment is mainly clinical and should not escape the algorithm of differential diagnoses, em phasizing that treatment should be instituted early or when in doubt consult a specialized center.

In addition to this, it is important to check theimmunization rate in our country, especially during thepandemic, becauseit is a vaccine-pre ventable disease.

Keywords : Clostridium tetani; Wounds; Prevention; Immunization.