Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by bacteria Clostridium tetaniwhich can be found in soil, dust and animal feces, as this type of bacteria lives in your intestine.
Tetanus transmission normally occurs through contact with the spores of this bacteria, which enter the body through small wounds or burns, causing symptoms such as muscle spasms, fever and muscle stiffness, for example.
Therefore, in the presence of symptoms indicative of tetanus, it is important to consult an infectious disease specialist or general practitioner, so that the diagnosis can be made and the most appropriate treatment can be initiated.
Tetanus symptoms
The main symptoms of tetanus are:
- Muscle spasms;
- Stiffness of the neck muscles;
- Fever below 38ºC;
- Trismo?
- Stiff and painful stomach muscles;
- Intense muscle pain;
- Difficulty opening your mouth or swallowing;
- Headache.
Tetanus symptoms usually appear between 2 and 28 days after contact with the bacteria Clostridium tetanus and may also include excessive sweating, arching of the back, rapid heartbeat and seizures.
Furthermore, if tetanus is not identified and treated, it can also cause the involvement of more muscles in the body, resulting in respiratory failure and putting the person’s life at risk.
Online symptom test
To find out the chance of having tetanus, select the symptoms presented in the test below:
The symptom test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace consultation with an infectious disease specialist or general practitioner.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of tetanus is made by a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist by evaluating the signs and symptoms presented, and the person’s clinical history and vaccination history.
If you want to confirm your risk of tetanus, make an appointment with the infectious disease specialist closest to you:
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The doctor may also request laboratory tests, such as blood count and microbiological tests, and imaging tests, such as chest and spinal x-rays, which serve to help control complications and exclude the possibility of other diseases and, thus, be able to confirm tetanus.
What causes tetanus
Tetanus happens when you come into contact with the spores of the bacteria Clostridium tetaniwhich give rise to a bacillus that produces toxins responsible for the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Some factors that can increase the risk of tetanus are:
- Wounds caused by piercing objects, such as fingernails, needles or nails;
- Injuries accompanied by necrotic tissue;
- Animal scratches or bites;
- Burns;
- Tattoos and piercings;
- Rusty objects.
- Cuts or superficial wounds on the skin;
- Counted from wounds with animal saliva or feces;
- Wounds or chronic skin infections;
- Foot ulcers caused by diabetes;
- Gunshot wounds;
- Septic abortion or uterine infection caused by abortion;
Tetanus can also be contracted more rarely through superficial wounds, surgical procedures, contaminated insect bites, dental infections, ear infections, open fractures, sharing needles, in the case of drug use, dental infections and intramuscular injections.
Furthermore, in newborns whose mothers were not vaccinated or did not receive a booster dose of the tetanus vaccine, infection of the umbilical stump may occur during birth, due to the use of non-sterilized surgical objects to cut the umbilical cord, contaminated with bacteria spores Clostridium tetani.
How the treatment is carried out
Treatment must be started as soon as possible to prevent complications, and is normally done with the tetanus vaccine, to stimulate the immune system, followed by an injection with a substance that neutralizes the bacteria’s toxins.
In addition, the use of antibiotics, muscle relaxing medications and regular cleaning of the wound is also recommended. Understand better how tetanus is treated.
Possible complications
Possible complications of tetanus are:
- Vocal cord paralysis;
- Respiratory failure;
- Aspiration pneumonia;
- Increased blood pressure;
- Bone fractures;
- Urine retention;
- Asphyxiation;
- Coma.
Tetanus can cause complications due to muscle contractions that can affect the respiratory muscles, vocal cords and other parts of the body.
Therefore, in the presence of tetanus symptoms, it is important that treatment is started immediately, to avoid these complications that can be life-threatening.
How to prevent
The main way to prevent tetanus is through the tetanus vaccine, which is part of the national vaccination calendar, which must be taken at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, with a booster between 15 and 18 months, between 4 and 5 years and another between 9 and 10 years. In addition, you should take a booster dose of the tetanus vaccine every 10 years. Find out more about the tetanus vaccine.
Furthermore, to prevent the occurrence of tetanus, it is important to take good care of wounds, always keeping them covered and clean, always washing your hands and not using shared sharps, such as needles.
