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Tetanus 2023_092741

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6 views

Tetanus 2023_092741

Uploaded by

shhabmalk238
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Technical Institute of Nursing

Mansoura University

2022/2023

Tetanus N eonatorum
Prepared by the staff of community health nursing department
Technical institute of nursing
Mansoura University
2022/2023
 Outlines:

Definition of tetanus neonatorum.

Types of tetanus disease.

Causative agent (Pathogenesis).

Incubation period.

Signs & symptoms.

Risk factors.

Complications.

Treatment.

Prevention.
 Definition of tetanus neonatorum: (WHO)

The WHO definition of a confirmed neonatal tetanus case is:


An illness occurring in an infant who has the normal ability to suck and cry in the first 2
days of life, but who loses this ability between days 3 and 28 of life and becomes rigid or has
spasms.

 Types of tetanus disease:


1. Generalized tetanus . (most common)
2. Neonatal tetanus .
3. Localized tetanus .
4. Cephalic tetanus .

 The causative agent: (Pathogenesis)


Tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani.
(C. tetani) .The spores are found everywhere in the environment, particularly in soil, ash,
intestinal tracts/feces of animals and humans, and on the surfaces of skin and rusty tools like
nails, needles, barbed wire, etc. Being very resistant to heat and most antiseptics, the spores
can survive for years.
Tetanus during pregnancy or within 6 weeks of the end of pregnancy is called “maternal
tetanus”, and tetanus within the first 28 days of life is called “neonatal tetanus”.

 The incubation period:


The incubation period of tetanus varies between 3 and 21 days after infection. Most cases
occur within 14 days.

 Signs & symptoms can include:


1. Jaw cramping (lock jaw) or the inability to open the mouth.(Trismus)
2. Muscle spasms often in the back, abdomen and extremities.
3. Sudden painful muscle spasms often triggered by sudden noises.
4. Trouble swallowing.
5. Seizures.
6. Headache.
7. Fever and sweating.
8. Changes in blood pressure or fast heart rate.
In neonatal tetanus, symptoms include muscle spasms, which are often preceded by the
newborn’s inability to suck or breastfeed, and excessive crying.

 Risk factors for neonatal tetanus include the following:


1. Unvaccinated mother,
2. Home delivery,
3. Unhygienic cutting of the umbilical cord increase susceptibility to tetanus.
4. A history of neonatal tetanus in a previous child is a risk factor for subsequent neonatal
tetanus.
 Complications of tetanus

1. Laryngospasms
2. Fractures
3. Hypertension
4. Nosocomial infections
5. Pulmonary embolism
6. Aspiration pneumonia
7. Death

 Treatment: Tetanus is a medical emergency requiring:

1. Care in the hospital


2. Immediate treatment with medicine called human tetanus immune globulin (TIG)
3. Aggressive wound care
4. Drugs to control muscle spasms
5. Antibiotics
6. Tetanus vaccination.
 NB: People who recover from tetanus do not have natural immunity and can be infected
again, and therefore need to be immunized.

 Prevention:
To be protected throughout life, WHO recommends that an individual receives 6 doses (3
primary plus 3 booster doses) of tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines (TTCV).
The 3-dose primary series should begin as early as 6 weeks of age, with subsequent doses
given with a minimum interval of 4 weeks between doses. The 3 booster doses should
preferably be given during the second year of life (12–23 months), at 4–7 years of age, and at
9–15 years of age. Ideally, there should be at least 4 years between booster doses.
 There are many kinds of vaccines used to protect against tetanus, all of which are combined
with vaccines for other diseases:

 Diphtheria and tetanus (DT) vaccines


 Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) (DTaP) vaccines
 Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccines
 Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines

Neonatal tetanus can be prevented by immunizing women of reproductive age with TTCV, either
during pregnancy or outside of pregnancy. Additionally, robust medical practices can also
prevent tetanus disease including clean delivery and cord care during childbirth, and proper
wound care for surgical and dental procedures.

In countries where national programmes have maintained high immunization coverage for
several decades, tetanus incidence rates are very low.

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