Does tetanus cause fever?

Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
Updated on September 21, 2024
00:00
00:00

When a person is infected with tetanus, the early symptoms mainly include dizziness, headache, fatigue, decreased appetite, weak chewing, sore jaw muscles, some muscle tension, or some hyperactive reflexes. As the condition worsens, typical clinical manifestations occur, such as difficulty opening the mouth, a sardonic smile, opisthotonos or neck stiffness, muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, and in severe cases, respiratory weakness or respiratory arrest. Some patients may develop a fever after being infected with tetanus. Therefore, some tetanus patients do show symptoms of fever.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Jun Hui
General Surgery
53sec home-news-image

Which part of the body is the tetanus shot administered?

Tetanus injections are given as intramuscular injections in the upper arm or the buttock. Tetanus vaccines include tetanus antitoxin, which requires a skin test. Patients with a positive skin test must either undergo desensitization therapy or avoid using it, and can switch to tetanus immunoglobulin, which doesn't require a skin test but is more expensive than tetanus antitoxin. The purpose of the tetanus shot is to prevent infection by Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic bacterium. It is particularly important for patients with deep wounds or heavily contaminated wounds; or wounds contaminated with rust or soil to receive tetanus treatment to prevent Clostridium tetani from colonizing the body through wound mucosa and producing neurotoxins that affect breathing.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Jun Hui
General Surgery
44sec home-news-image

Is tetanus easy to infect?

Tetanus is not easily contracted.Tetanus bacilli belong to anaerobes, and are prone to occur in conditions where the wounds are deep, in an anoxic or low oxygen situation, heavily contaminated wounds such as with dirt or rust, and in cases of open fractures with large wounds. In these situations, tetanus bacilli can colonize the skin and mucous membranes, producing neurotoxins that lead to a series of complications. Therefore, anti-tetanus treatment must be conducted for wounds in an anaerobic environment, such as heavily arsenic-contaminated wounds.For routine wounds that are shallow and small, it is sufficient to change the dressing.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
44sec home-news-image

How much is the tetanus serum?

When there is a potential risk of tetanus infection in our wounds, we should promptly receive a tetanus shot. The tetanus treatments commonly used today include tetanus antitoxin and tetanus immunoglobulin, also known as tetanus serum. Generally, the price of tetanus antitoxin is about seven to eight yuan each. Tetanus serum can be divided into two types: human tetanus immunoglobulin and horse tetanus immunoglobulin. The price of human tetanus immunoglobulin is slightly over 80 yuan, while horse tetanus immunoglobulin costs slightly over 30 yuan. Horse tetanus immunoglobulin requires a skin test before it can be administered.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
58sec home-news-image

How long do you have to get a tetanus shot?

It is generally recommended to receive an injection as soon as possible after a trauma, ideally within 24 hours, because tetanus has a certain incubation period, with the shortest being able to cause disease within 24 hours. There is still value in receiving the injection after 24 hours; it can alleviate symptoms and play a preventive treatment role. For tetanus, it is usual to administer a tetanus shot, and most people can choose between tetanus antitoxin or tetanus immunoglobulin. The duration of these two drugs is not the same; tetanus antitoxin lasts about three days, while tetanus immunoglobulin can last up to three weeks. However, this is not an absolute conclusion. Beyond this time, if there are high-risk factors for reinfection, a repeat injection is needed. If a patient has previously been protected by an active immunization regimen, in most cases, no special preventive treatment is needed within three years of the last vaccination.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ai Bing Quan
General Surgery
36sec home-news-image

chances of a person getting tetanus

Tetanus is a special type of infection that can enter the human body through skin, mucous membranes, or wounds and grows and reproduces in anaerobic conditions. The likelihood of a tetanus infection depends mainly on the depth and size of the wound, as well as what caused the wound. If the wound was caused by rusty nails or unclean sharp objects, and is both deep and large, the possibility of developing a tetanus infection is higher. Conversely, smaller or superficial wounds caused by relatively clean sharp objects are less likely to result in a tetanus infection.