EmailMayoClinicOverview

Karen Kline
To Graham, Alan ; Corrine Romero
info@wholelifeclinic.org
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004
Subject: Mayo Clinic info on Tetanus: "Laboratory tests aren't used to diagnose tetanus" -- I'll
make that bit red

Tetanus

Overview
Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that leads to stiffness of your jaw and other muscles. It can
cause severe muscle spasms, make breathing difficult and, ultimately, threaten your life.

A cut, puncture wound, bite or other wound, even if minor, can lead to a tetanus infection in someone
without immunity to the infection. Spores of the tetanus bacteria, Clostridium tetani, usually are
found in the soil but can occur virtually anywhere. If they enter a wound beyond the reach of
oxygen, they produce a toxin that interferes with the nerves controlling your muscles.

Treatment is available, but the process is lengthy and not uniformly effective. Tetanus may be fatal
despite treatment. The disease is rare in the United States, with fewer than 50 cases being reported
annually. A small number of those result in death. The number of cases and of resulting deaths is far
higher in developing countries. The best defense against tetanus is prevention.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of tetanus may include:

Stiffness of the jaw, neck and other muscles
Irritability
Spasms of your jaw and neck muscles
Painful muscle spasms
Some people may experience only pain and tingling at the wound site and some spasms in nearby
muscles. But as the toxin spreads to nerves supplying muscles, most people have stiffness of the jaw
and neck, difficulty swallowing and irritability. Facial and jaw muscles are most often affected by
strong spasms. This is why tetanus is commonly referred to as lockjaw.

Spasms of your jaw or facial muscles progress to spasms and rigidity of your neck, abdominal and
back muscles. Finally, severe spasms can affect respiratory muscles and make it difficult for you to
breathe. You're usually awake and alert throughout the disease.

Signs and symptoms of tetanus may appear anywhere from a few days to several weeks after an
injury. The average incubation period for the disease is from 8 to 12 days.

Causes
The bacteria that cause tetanus, Clostridium tetani, occur commonly in soils and in the feces of farm
animals, cats and dogs. When they enter a deep flesh wound, spores of the bacteria may produce a
powerful toxin, tetanospasmin, which acts on various areas of your nervous system. The effect on
your nerves can cause muscle stiffness and spasms — the major signs of tetanus.

Dogs, cats and other pets: Protect your family from infection

Animal bites

When to seek medical advice
See your doctor to obtain a tetanus booster shot if you have a deep or dirty wound and you haven't
had a booster shot within the past 5 years. Or see your doctor about a tetanus booster for any
wound if you haven't had a booster shot within the past 10 years.

Screening and diagnosis
Doctors diagnose tetanus based on a physical exam and the signs and symptoms of muscle spasms,
stiffness and pain. Laboratory tests aren't used to diagnose tetanus.

Treatment
Tetanus may be mild and its effects limited to one part of your body if you have a partial immunity
to tetanus. Recovery can occur without treatment. However, mild forms of tetanus aren't common. In
most cases of tetanus, the illness is severe and widespread, and there's a risk of death despite
treatment.

Treatment may include use of an antibody, tetanus immune globulin (TIG), and tetanus antitoxin.
However, the antitoxin can only neutralize toxin that hasn't yet combined with nerve tissue. Your
doctor may also give you antibiotics, either orally or by injection, to fight tetanus bacteria.

Tetanus infection usually requires a long period of treatment in an intensive care setting. Drugs will
be used to sedate you and to paralyze your muscles so that breathing must be supported temporarily
by a ventilator. In some cases, you may need to use a ventilator for 2 to 3 weeks.

Death may result from constriction of airways, pneumonia or instability in the autonomic nervous
system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls your heart
muscles, other involuntary muscles and glands. People who recover from tetanus sometimes have
lasting effects, including defects in the nervous system and psychological problems that may require
psychotherapy.

www.health-boundaries-bite.com/Fingernails.html
Your fingernails reflect your health --
Learn what warning signs to look for --
Karen Kline