Prevention of tetanus: how to protect yourself from this disease

Prevention of tetanus is a real reason to protect yourself from this serious and dangerous disease. Although today is celebrated in Russia only a few cases is still a chance to face him.

Unlike diseases such as smallpox or bubonic plague, tetanus cannot win ever. Therefore, for each of the individual prevention – the only way to protect yourself.

Where does tetanus?

This disease is caused by bacteria tetanus Bacillus. They are part of the normal microflora of the intestines of many herbivores, and also part of the predators. In some cases, they even can live in the human intestine.

The problem is that with faeces into the environment large quantities of spores of tetanus Bacillus. This form is highly resistant to the external environment. So when boiling they can withstand up to 3 hours in sea water remain active for up to 6 months and in soil for live years. They tolerate freezing, poorly responsive to disinfectants.

Spores can reseed the soil, especially forest and agricultural well-fertilized, sand, urban dust, fresh and salt ponds, as well as the subjects on which they fell.

Thus, these two tanks have always supported each other: animals eat the spores contaminated grass or drinking water, tetanus bacteria begins to multiply in their intestines, after which faeces spores, polluting the water and land.

How is the infection?

Infection is possible if spores of the bacteria gets into an open wound.

Such conditions are created in deep, stab wounds, lacerations, burns, frostbite. At the same time, the development of spores is possible in conventional shallow wounds and even scratches, although less frequently.

Tetanus bacteria gets into a wound by soil, dust, contaminated water. After the bacteria got into the wound, and moved into the vegetative form, the infection begins. The incubation period of tetanus is very durable. It can last from 10 to 45 days. Often the first symptoms noted by 20-25 day.

The danger of tetanus in the toxins that these bacteria produce. Cyanotoxin is one of the most aggressive bacterial toxins. It damages nerve fibers, which manifest all the symptoms and complications of tetanus.

The development of the disease is slow, since the toxin takes time to from the entrance gate to get into the brain and spinal cord. Therefore, the duration of the incubation period depends on the area injured, the number of bacteria trapped in the wound, age of the injured person, his state of health and so on.

Now, understanding how disease develops, we can understand what needs to be prevention of tetanus.

Directions of prophylaxis

This disease belongs to deadly. Among bacterial infections, a worse prognosis only for rabies, treatment of which is still not found. Therefore, the approach to prevention of tetanus is the most serious. There were several directions:

• Prophylactic immunization.
• Nonspecific prophylaxis.
• Emergency prevention.
• Passive-active immunization.

Each of these areas is worth considering in more detail.

Prophylactic immunization

Vaccination is the most effective, safe and reliable way to avoid infection. It allows you to develop specific immunity – antibody that neutralizes tetanus toxin. This person introduced a small portion of the specially prepared, neutralized the toxin. It is slowly absorbed into the blood, and the immune system generates an adequate response.

According to the Russian vaccination calendar, vaccination against tetanus begin to make children from 3 months. A primary course includes two compulsory revaccination every 45 days: 4.5 and 6 months. After that, vaccinations are 1.5, 7 and 14.

This age is chosen not casually. The primary course of vaccinationshould be finished in 6 months. By this time weakened action of maternal antibodies that protect the baby until he has not formed its own immunity. But in order for this scheme to work, the mother should be made all of her proper age of vaccination. If the latter were omitted, then in the planning stage of pregnancy is recommended to do the first two and within one month after revaccination be protected.

The first four vaccinations for children do as part of a combined vaccine, most commonly DTAP, which also protects against two other diseases: diphtheria and whooping cough. All vaccination after 5 years is already simplified – ADS, which excluded protivoluchevye component.

Infection with tetanus is dangerous at any age, so after 14 years I repeat vaccination every 10 years.

If since the last inoculation passed more time than expected, then the course must be repeated. The adult and children from 5 years used another scheme: two vaccinations with an interval of 1.5 months and the booster after a year.

Nonspecific prophylaxis

This group includes General advice: try to avoid injuries related to violation of the integrity of the skin. Take particular care while working on the cottage and the farm economy. The wound, which hit the ground, the most dangerous from the point of view of tetanus. Any, even the most minor scratches obtained during the work with the earth, it is urgent to handle.

Proper and timely treatment of wounds and scratches helps to significantly reduce the risk of infection. To do this, they should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water and treat with bactericide – hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, miramistine. Then damage need to close clean gauze to exclude dust and other bacteria.

Large, deep, ragged and extensive wounds, animal bites, any burns and frostbite must be treated in a medical facility: hospital, clinic or emergency room.

Emergency prevention

Today more and more people, especially adults, forget that vaccinations must be repeated regularly, and they developed immunity. And such a person goes to a doctor and perhaps infected injury required emergency prevention.

To exclude the possible effect of the toxins of tetanus, the victim is injected with the serum containing the specific antibody.

Uses two types this serum: horse and human. The first is obtained from the blood serum hyperimmunizing horses, the second from vaccinated people-donors.

Therefore, the emergency prevention is resorted to only in cases when it is known that the victim is not vaccinated, if he does not have confirmation of all required vaccinations or a course was finished.

Before the introduction of the serum, be sure to spend Energoprom – under the skin, inject a few milligrams and monitor the reaction for half an hour.

The introduction of tetanus toxoid is an effective method of dealing with a possible outbreak. But it can cause complications: allergic local reactions, angioedema, anaphylactic shock and so on.

At the same time, weakened, prone to allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to medicines people and children try to enter the human serum, but it is not always available.

Conduct emergency prevention is required as quickly as possible, but no later than the 20th day after application of the wound.

Passive-active immunization

Often both the introduction of tetanus toxoid, the victim is shot. This speeds up the formation of the immune response and reduces the risk of onset of the disease.

If people have not been vaccinated, vaccination is considered as the first. For the formation of stable immunity a month and a half additional vaccination and consolidation through the year.

Formed so the immune system protects the person from further risk of tetanus.

Clinic tetanus

If, after receiving the wound infection unvaccinated person was not carried out emergency prevention of possible disease.

Clinic tetanus is quite typical, but its main problem is that the symptoms only appear in the acute stage, when treatment requires a significant effort and not always effective.

In some cases noted early symptoms in the prodromalperiod: nagging pain at the site of infection even if the wound healed, a slight twitching of the affected or adjacent muscles. Immediately before the beginning of the disease, the clinic may include anxiety, irritability, poor sleep.

Clinic tetanus is largely associated with damage to muscles, primarily the face, neck, throat. The following symptoms:

• Spasm of the muscles of the mouth, because of this, it is difficult or impossible to access.
• Spasm of the laryngeal muscles, causing difficulty swallowing.
• Spasm of the facial muscles, causing the so-called sardonic smile with drooping corners of the mouth and raised eyebrows.
• Tension of the occipital muscles.

After a few days of the blade tetanus is becoming more diverse, connected new symptoms:

• Painful spasms of all muscles.
• Periodic seizures that may be triggered by visual, auditory, tactile or other complications.
• Labored or absent urination and defecation.
• Sweating, fever, insomnia.
• Tachycardia, high blood pressure.

In such cases, it is important to start as soon as possible, until he developed a severe and potentially fatal complications.

Methods of diagnosis of tetanus

For the diagnosis of the doctors in most cases are based on typical symptomatic picture. The classic triad of symptoms, and medical history allow you to schedule a treatment.

It can be carried out in several ways:

• Search tetanus Bacillus in the wound. If the wound is healed, then take smears from the mucosa.
• Search tetanus toxin. This prepared the patient's blood serum is administered to laboratory mice. With the appearance of them after some time, the characteristic spasms, the diagnosis is considered confirmed.

Laboratory diagnosis is considered to be secondary to symptomatic. To start treatment is enough characteristic signs of this disease.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with a range of diseases, primarily meningitis, encephalitis, and other conditions that cause seizures and spasms.

To predict the nature of the course, duration and complications, it is important to determine exactly when a person has been infected. The rate of appearance of symptoms directly related to the severity of the disease: the more rapidly it develops, the harder it will be to leak.

Treatment of tetanus

Therapy of this disease involves three main areas:

• The fight against the pathogen. To do this, if necessary, sanitize the wound, clean out the dead tissue and carry out its complete treatment, and prescribe a course of antibiotics.
• Neutralization of the toxin. Is used tetanus serum. The number and volume of injections depend on a large number of indicators, primarily the severity of the disease, age and weight of the patient. Also to speed up the elimination of toxins prescribe a special therapy.
• Prevention of complications. This is the most difficult and important part, because complications often lead to death of the patient.

Typical complications of tetanus is heart failure, myocardial infarction, AutoPlay bones, ruptures of muscles and tendons during the attack, respiratory failure and asphyxia, toxic damage to brain, liver, kidney, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, thrombosis.

Therefore, treatment primarily helps to cope with seizures that become harder and longer. In mild cases enough to transfer the patient in a quiet darkened room, to eliminate possible irritants, prescribe muscle relaxants and sedatives.

In severe cases, use a respirator to prevent asphyxiation during a seizure, meals served through a tube or intravenously, and the urine is withdrawn through the catheter. Often in such cases, use the drug to relieve seizures.

In addition, treatment involves a wide range of products that support the patient's body, primarily the function of the heart, liver, kidneys.

As a rule, the acute phase lasts for 3-4 weeks weeks. The most difficult is the middle of this period – from 10 to day 14. If it could safely be avoided, which greatly increase the chances of successful treatment. After a tipping point the patient's condition gradually improved, seizures become less frequent and weaker, until you pass.

Long-term complications include pneumonia and lesions of the nervous system: paralysis, spasms, muscle weakness. Full recovery may take up to 3-4 months. In some cases, after recovery remain complications such as muscle weakness, tachycardia, curvature of the spine.

After treatment in hospital (2-3 months) requires a long rehabilitation period to restore the nervous system and muscles.

Tetanus is one of thethe most severe bacterial diseases, and face it everyone can. Correct and timely prevention can really protect you from him.