Generalized tetanus in an eight-year-old girl: a case report

Abstract

Tetanus, a vaccine-preventable disease threatens life. Tetanus has four clinical presentations: neonatal, localized, cephalic, and generalized. Generalized tetanus was the most common presenting feature on admission to the hospital. We report a case with generalized tetanus with difficulty swallowing and sore throat by admission. She was eight years old. She had symptoms on the fifth day of nail soak. She rapidly developed an opisthotonic posture on the first day of admission. She was discharged on foot on the seventieth day. Generalized tetanus should be kept in mind that a patient may be admitted to a hospital with difficulty swallowing and a sore throat.

Keywords

• Generalized tetanus
• childhood
• tetanus toxoid
• muscle spasm

References

1. 1. Rhinesmith E, Fu L. Tetanus disease, treatment, management. Pediatr Rev 2018;39:430-2.
2. 2. Tiwari TSP, Moro PL, Acosta AM. Tetanus. In: Hall E, Wodi AP, Hamborsky J, Morelli V, Schillie S, eds: Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. 14th ed. Washington, D.C: Public Health Foundation; 2021: pp.315-28.
3. 3. Coplu N, Esen B, Gozalan A, Kurtoglu D, Ishid S, Mıyamura K. Immunity against tetanus and effect of vaccination in Turkey. Scand J Infect Dis 2006;38:1009-16.
4. 4. Yen LM, Thwaites CL. Tetanus. Lancet 2019:20;393:1657-68.
5. 5. Arredondo AR, Dire DJ. Assessment of Tetanus Risk in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Emergency / Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports. 2016, December 1. Available at: https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/139657-assessment-of-tetanus-risk-in-the-pediatric-emergency-department. Accessed date: 23.11.2021.
6. 6. Veronesi R, Focaccia R. The clinical picture. In: Veronesi R, ed. Tetanus: Important New Concepts. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica; 1981: pp.183-206.
7. 7. Farrar JJ, Yen LM, Cook T, Fairweather N, Binh N, Parry J, et al. Tetanus. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000;69:292-301.