nurse's notes

Tetanus is a disease caused by Bacillus Tetani ( Clostridium Tetani ). This bacteria is anaerobe meaning can not survive in the presence of oxygen. They usually found in a deep wound with small external opening injured by a contaminated with soil, dust and feces of animals or human.

Signs ans Symptoms:
>restlessness, headache
>hyper irritability due to hypersensitive of motor and sensory nerves
>Lockjaw ( trismus )due to spasm of the muscles as first affected muscles in the jaws resulting patient can not open his mouth
>generalized convulsion- a stimuli to a loud voice or loud banging of doors. The patient manifest head retraction, fully extended feet , arched of the trunk (opisthutonus). Sardonic grin due to spasm of the facial muscles.

Death may cause by :
> spasm of respiratory muscles
> lack of nourishment
>excessive fatigue due to muscles spasm

Prevention:
>Routine immunization with tetanus toxoid in all children or in an industrial or in an environment with a history of increase incidence of the disease.
>Effective wound care