Presentation
Origin Indigenous Geo Schema Political Region Geo Region New Zealand Occurrence Present Origin Exotic Deprecated Name Ids '64f545c3-d7b5-462d-b8f5-20734fb8951d' was deprecated on 8-Sep-2016 Scientific Name Authority (Flügge 1886) Bergey et al. [nzor.org.nz]
Local tetanus is somewhat rare and presents with muscle contractions in a localized body region. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Entire Body System
- Fever
Other symptoms may include fever, high blood pressure, headache, sweating, fractures due to the spasms, trouble swallowing, and a fast heart rate. High risk groups are people exposed to soil or animal feces. [creative-diagnostics.com]
Other symptoms may include: fever, headache, trouble swallowing, high blood pressure, and a fast heart rate. Onset of symptoms is typically three to twenty one days following infection. Mortality rates reported vary from 40% to 78% (Wikipedia). [bacteria.cz]
Other signs and symptoms may include fever, sweating, difficulty swallowing, elevated blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. [dentalcare.com]
Other signs and symptoms include: drooling, sweating, fever, hand/foot spasms, and uncontrollable urination or defecation. [2] While the disease has been correlated between wounds and fatal muscle spasms for thousands of years, it wasnt until 1884 that [austincc.edu]
- Wound Infection
To the best of our knowledge, the only case of C. tetani infection with a toxigenic strain but without tetanus or osteitis was a wound infection that quickly improved after administration of antitetanus vaccine, prophylactic immunoglobulins, flucloxacillin [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Access of tetanus spores to open wounds does not necessarily result in disease, especially in clean wounds where the oxygen supply is good and germination is inhibited. In necrotic or infected wounds, anaerobic conditions will permit germination. [virology-online.com]
Original publication: 1 DOUGLAS (S.R.), FLEMING (A.) and COLEBROOK (L.): Studies in wound infections. [bacterio.net]
Gastrointestinal
- Diarrhea
An increasing number of reports also implicate the organism in 5%�15% of antibiotic�associated diarrhea (AAD) and sporadic diarrhea (SD) cases in humans, as well as diarrhea cases in animals. [textbookofbacteriology.net]
The bacteria then elaborate the enterotoxin that causes the characteristic symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal cramping. [web.archive.org]
Jaw & Teeth
- Trismus
Abstract A 60-year-old man, who had a trauma with a bamboo broom to the left forearm ten days before admission, developed myotonia in his left arm, neck stiffness, and trismus. A scab had already formed over the wound. [jstage.jst.go.jp]
• Trismus• stiffness of the neck and difficulty inswallowing• rigidity of abdominal muscles.• rise of 2°-4°C above normal temp.• sweating and elevated blood pressure• episodic rapid heart rate• SpasmsGENERALIZED 14. • Occurs in infant• infection of [de.slideshare.net]
Specific symptoms can include risus sardonicus (a rigid smile), trismus (lock-jaw), and opisthotonus (rigid, arched back). [study.com]
A diagnosis is based mostly on symptoms, uncontrollable muscle spasms beginning in the facial nerves, most notably causing trismus (lockjaw). [austincc.edu]
Skin
- Formication
Etymology: L. n. formica, an ant; N.L. adj. formicus, pertaining to ants, to formic acid; L. n. acetum, wine-vinegar; N.L. adj. aceticus, pertaining to vinegar, to acetic acid; N.L. neut. adj. formicaceticum, pertaining to formic and acetic acids. [bacterio.net]
Face, Head & Neck
- Risus Sardonicus
Muscles of the Face: Resulting in the characteristic sneer termed "Risus Sardonicus" Muscles of Swallowing: Resulting in dysphagia Muscles of Breathing: Can compromise capacity to breath and may result in fatality DPT vaccine: One component of this vaccine [pathwaymedicine.org]
Specific symptoms can include risus sardonicus (a rigid smile), trismus (lock-jaw), and opisthotonus (rigid, arched back). [study.com]
The characteristic rigidity of the body is referred to as opisthotonos and risus sardonicus. Risk Factors: Race, sex, and age have some associations with tetanus. [ppdictionary.com]
Neurologic
- Spastic Paralysis
The manifestation of the disease, spastic paralysis, is caused by the second most poisonous substance known, the tetanus toxin, with a human lethal dose of approximately 1 ng/kg. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The manifestation of the disease, spastic paralysis, is caused by the second most poisonous substance known, the Tetanus toxin (Ref.1). [proteinlounge.com]
Disease (Swedish):Stelkramp Disease (English):Tetanus Clinical Picture : Spastic paralysis. [vetbact.org]
- Opisthotonus
Specific symptoms can include risus sardonicus (a rigid smile), trismus (lock-jaw), and opisthotonus (rigid, arched back). [study.com]
Subsequently, hypertonia, opisthotonus and generalized spasms occur. Table 1 summarizes Bazin's (10) categorization of tetanus neonatorum. [scielo.br]
Generalized tetanus is the most recognizable and well-known form and is characterized by specific clinical findings including trismus, dysphagia, nuchal rigidity, opisthotonus (backward arching of the head, neck, and spine), risus sardonicus (sustained [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
- Neck Stiffness
Abstract A 60-year-old man, who had a trauma with a bamboo broom to the left forearm ten days before admission, developed myotonia in his left arm, neck stiffness, and trismus. A scab had already formed over the wound. [jstage.jst.go.jp]
Symptoms can be mild or severe and include: chills difficulty swallowing headache irritability jaw and neck stiffness low fever restlessness sore throat stiff arms and legs Symptoms soon progress to classic tetanus: difficulty opening the jaw - that's [medbroadcast.com]
Workup
Microbiology
- Gram-Positive Bacteria
Clostridia are spore-forming gram-positive bacteria. The round spores develop at the terminal end which results in a “tennis racket” like shape under the microscope. [abcam.com]
Microbiology Bacteriology Gram positive bacteria Anaerobic rods Citation Osmosis: Clostridium tetani (Tetanus). (2019, March 31). Retrieved from (https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Clostridium_tetani_(Tetanus)). [osmosis.org]
Introduction: Clostridia are spore-forming gram-positive bacteria. The round spores are build at the terminal end which results in the microscope in a tennis racket like shape. [genwaybio.com]
- Gram-Positive Rods
Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic endospore-forming gram-positive rod found in the soil and an intestinal tract commensal. [ehs.unc.edu]
Analysis C. perfringens is a ubiquitous, anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacillus and a frequent contaminant of meat and poultry. [textbookofbacteriology.net]
Treatment
Despite treatment with high doses of penicillin, C. tetani was isolated after 16 days of intravenous penicillin in two cases. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Pre-emptive treatment for Clostridium tetani : importance of early recognition and treatment in the community. BMJ Case Rep. 2009 ; pii: bcr03.2009.1649. [wwwnc.cdc.gov]
No immunity provided Amount of tetanospasmin is too small for immune response Treatment for Clostridium tetani Human Tetanus Immunoglobin (TIG) - neutralizes unbound toxin Treatment with Metronidazole - kills vegetative cell - no additional toxin made [proprofs.com]
Prognosis
Differential Diagnosis Encephalitis Meningitis Dystonia (congenital and acquired) Drug-induced dystonias Intracranial hemorrhage Hepatic encephalopathy Seizure Strychnine poisoning Neuroleptic malignant syndrome Prognosis The prognosis following tetanus [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
In general, with heavy wound contamination the incubation period is shorter, the disease is more severe, and the prognosis is poorer. The spores germinate under anaerobic conditions and produce tetanospasmin, a powerful toxin. [dentalcare.com]
The prognosis is dependent on incubation period, the time from spore inoculation to first symptom, and the time from first symptom to first tetanic spasm. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Prognosis : Tetanus kills about 1 out of every 5 people infected with the bacteria. 1 Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). www.cdc.gov Medline Plus.US National Library of Medicine. [thevaccinemom.com]
Etiology
Clostridium tetani is the etiological agent of tetanus, Clostridium botulinum is the etiological agent of botulism, and Clostridium perfringens is one of the etiological agent of gas gangrene. [bacmap.wishartlab.com]
Abstract Clostridium tetani is the etiologic agent of the muscle-spasming disease tetanus. Despite an effective vaccine, tetanus is an ongoing problem in some developing countries. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Clostridium tetani, the etiologic agent of tetanus, produces a toxin that causes spastic paralysis in humans and other vertebrates. [ajtmh.org]
Epidemiology
Back to Bacteria Index Member of genus Clostridium Epidemiology There are about one million cases of tetanus reported worldwide and about 70 in the United States annually. [doctorslounge.com]
Epidemiology of tetanus in the marches region of Italy, 1992-1995. Bull. World Health Organization 1998 ;76:47-54. [ Links ] 4. Moneta G.L., Nehler M.R., Chitwood R.W., Porter J.M. [scielo.br]
Epidemiological data Frequency United States: Reported Cases 1940s - .4 cases per 100,000 population 1970s - .05 cases per 100,000 2002 - .01 per 100,000 (from: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/tetanus.pdf ) Global Reports show about 1 million [web.uconn.edu]
Epidemiology The Incidence of tetanus is 0.03 cases per 100,000 individuals. [mechpath.com]
Pathophysiology
This activity reviews the pathophysiology of Clostridium tetani and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in its management. Objectives: Describe the pathophysiology of Clostridium tetani. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The natural history, pathophysiology, and nonoperative treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. In: Rutherford RB (ed.), Vascular Surgery. Fourth edition, volume II, Philadelphia: WB Sauders, 1995. [ Links ] 5. [scielo.br]
Pathophysiology Clostridium tetani is an obligate, anaerobic, motile, gram-positive bacillus. It is nonencapsulated and forms spores that are resistant to heat, desiccation, and disinfectants. [emedicine.medscape.com]
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 69 : 292 – 301. ( 1999 ) Pathophysiological properties of clostridial neurotoxins. The Comprehensive Sourcebook of Bacterial Protein Toxins (, eds), pp. 202 – 228. [academic.oup.com]
Prevention
The disease can be prevented by immunization with tetanal toxoid and appropriate wound care. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Following these developments, Edmond Nocard determined that the tetanospasmin antitoxin induced passive immunity and can be used for treatment as well as preventative vaccination against tetanus. [bioweb.uwlax.edu]
Prevention : The best and only way to really prevent your child from getting tetanus is though vaccination. Vaccination against tetanus should be given every ten years. [thevaccinemom.com]
How Is Tetanus Prevented? Tetanus can be deadly, and is fatal to one in ten victims. The disease is, however, very preventable through vaccination. [scienceprofonline.com]
The most important objectives in the management of tetanus are: (1) neutralization of free toxin with tetanus antitoxin; (2) elimination of the source of toxin by débridement of all accessible portals of entry or by administration of antibiotics; (3) prevention [jamanetwork.com]