Question

1. About a week after sustaining a splinter wound in their left hand, an individual experienced weakness and difficulty speaking. At that time, they were treated for otitis media. A few days later, the patient presented to the emergency room with difficulty walking, talking, and swallowing. They did not report any wound history to the physician. They were treated with an intramuscular corticosteroid injection. They then went to another emergency department where they were admitted to the ICU with diagnosed tetanus and put on mechanical ventilation as a precautionary measure. They received tetanus antibodies and stared on metronidazole. After hospitalization for two months, they were released.

1. What pathogen causes tetanus?

2. Is there any danger of this infectious disease spreading to family members or healthcare workers? Provide rationale for your response.

3. Why was placing the patient on mechanical ventilation needed?

4. What characteristics of the microbe makes puncture wounds like the one described above particularly susceptible to the tetanus-causing microbe?

5. How is this disease prevented?

Answer 1

Answer-

A. Clostridium tetani is the causative agent of tetanus.

B. No, tetanus cannot spread between a person to another person . It ia not contagious .

C. Tetanus causes spasms of the muscles in the entire body , it causes respiratory muscle spasms causing respiratory distress in patients who have difficulty breathing on their own ,and need mechanical ventilator to support life .

D. Clostridium tetani is spore forming bacteria ,it has terminal spherical spores and it is commonly found everywhere in soil ,dust , on metal surfaces ,this makes it very easy to be acquired in wounds.

E. Tetanus can be prevented by taking tetanus toxoid TT vaccination , every 5 years as booster dose . Or as soon as a wound occurs due to a sharp metal or in mud or soil TT should be taken immediately.

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