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Tetanus
Will tetanus cause itching all over the body?
After the human body is infected with tetanus, it generally does not cause symptoms such as itching all over the body. After being infected with tetanus, there will be photophobia and fear of wind, and there will be stiff muscle spasms. Upon hearing the sound of wind or water, the patient will experience panic and fear, with involuntary spasms of the facial chewing muscles and other muscles. These symptoms should be considered as tetanus. The onset of tetanus is related to infection with the tetanus bacillus. Generalized itching is commonly seen in allergic diseases, caused by various reasons leading to systemic allergies. For generalized itching, anti-allergic medications should be used for treatment to alleviate the symptoms of itching all over the body.
Can tetanus be cured now?
Tetanus infection is a rather terrifying disease. Currently, the World Health Organization considers that in environments lacking medical intervention, the mortality rate of tetanus can reach up to 100%. However, with current comprehensive and active treatment measures, the global mortality rate generally reaches about 20%-40%. In severe cases, especially in children or elderly patients, the fatality rate can exceed 70%. Yet, in most cases, if preventive treatments are promptly administered, they can be highly effective. Typically, within 12 to 24 hours after injury, passive immunization should be promptly conducted, usually choosing tetanus antitoxin or tetanus immunoglobulin. If this time period is exceeded and the patient has not shown symptoms, vaccination can still be administered. Even if symptoms develop, administering injections can still save lives and alleviate symptoms.
Does tetanus require a skin test?
After a patient is injured, if the wound is relatively deep, such as reaching the subcutaneous fat or deeper to the muscles, it is generally required to administer a tetanus shot. The most commonly used tetanus remedy in clinical practice is called tetanus antitoxin. Before administering tetanus antitoxin, a skin test must be conducted. This is because if an allergic reaction to tetanus antitoxin occurs, it can lead to anaphylactic shock, characterized by increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, reduced blood oxygen saturation, with severe cases resulting in coma or even death. Therefore, it is clinically required to perform a skin test before administering a tetanus shot to prevent allergic reactions and the occurrence of anaphylactic shock.
What are the symptoms of a tetanus wound?
Under normal circumstances, the wounds of tetanus are usually small and deep. There may be redness and swelling at the wound site. After a tetanus infection, when symptoms occur, the redness seen is different from the usual redness - it typically appears as a dark red. The wound might have a deep infection and produce pus, which is either white or blood-tinged. Additionally, there will be pain at the wound site, which feels severely painful to the touch, and sometimes the severe pain is felt even without touching it.
Can tetanus in humans be cured?
Tetanus is a curable infectious disease, which is often misunderstood as incurable due to the severity of its symptoms upon infection. Typically, the production of toxins leads to specific infectious manifestations. Clinically, it mainly presents with symptoms of rigidity or muscle spasms and tension, including stiffness in the neck and possibly opisthotonos among other conditions; it may even cause diaphragmatic spasms and respiratory difficulties. Therefore, it is crucial to handle such infections promptly, as timely treatment can lead to a complete cure. Of course, once infected, this disease can also pose a significant threat to life safety, and currently, the clinical mortality rate is relatively high.
Which department should I go to for tetanus?
To administer tetanus antitoxin treatment, one typically goes to the emergency department of a standard hospital where a tetanus antitoxin muscle injection can be administered, usually in the buttocks or upper arm muscles. A skin test is required before the injection, and for patients with a positive skin test, it is recommended to switch to tetanus immunoglobulin, which does not require a skin test. Tetanus is caused by the colonization of Clostridium tetani through mucous membranes or wounds in the human body, producing a neurotoxin that affects the muscle groups of the body, leading to respiratory arrest. Therefore, for patients with deep wounds or heavily contaminated wounds, it is essential to administer tetanus antitoxin treatment while performing wound cleaning and dressing changes.
How long does the tetanus skin test take?
If a patient is injured and the injury is relatively deep, it is recommended to visit the hospital to receive a tetanus antitoxin injection to prevent tetanus infection. Before injecting the tetanus antitoxin, a skin test must be conducted to prevent allergic reactions, including severe complications such as anaphylactic shock. A common method for the skin test is to dilute 0.1ml of tetanus antitoxin in 0.9ml of saline to make a solution and take 0.05ml of it for a skin prick test on the forearm. The observation time for this test is generally 30 minutes, to monitor for any positive reactions at the site of the test.
Does the tetanus shot hurt?
When receiving a tetanus shot, there is some pain involved, but the pain is generally not very severe, and most patients can tolerate it. Tetanus shots are primarily for preventing tetanus infection. Before administering the shot, a skin test is usually required, which involves injecting the drug intradermally on the inner side of the forearm. The skin test may cause more noticeable pain. Patients typically need a tetanus shot when they have wounds, usually deep wounds, which may create anaerobic conditions within the wound. This can lead to a significant proliferation of Clostridium tetani, thus necessitating the administration of tetanus antitoxin to prevent tetanus infection.
Is it necessary to get a tetanus shot?
This depends on the condition of the wound. If the wound is deep and small, and there is insufficient oxygen, then treatment for tetanus is necessary. In cases of open fractures or blast injuries with heavy contamination, such as contamination with soil or rust, treatment for tetanus is mandatory. This is because tetanus is caused by the invasion of Clostridium tetani into human mucous membranes, producing a toxin that causes muscle spasms in the body, particularly affecting the jaw and respiratory muscles, leading to oxygen deprivation and asphyxiation. Therefore, if the wound requires treatment with a tetanus shot, treatment for tetanus is essential.
Tetanus onset in several days
Tetanus is a type of infection specifically related to the surgical context, caused by Clostridium tetani. It can invade the human body through skin or mucosal wounds, and flourishes in an anaerobic environment. The toxin produced by the tetanus bacterium primarily invades the neurons of the human nervous system, causing muscle spasms such as lockjaw, episodic spasms, and compulsive spasms, with muscles like the lumbar, back, and abdominal muscles being mainly affected. The incubation period of tetanus is usually seven to eight days, with the shortest being within 24 hours and the longest can extend to several months or even years.