Treatment for tetanus should be started as soon as possible when the first symptoms appear, such as contraction of the jaw muscle and fever, after a cut or sore on the skin, to prevent the development of serious complications such as difficulty moving body parts, difficulty to breathe or even eat, for example. Know other symptoms of tetanus.
Thus, when there is a suspicion of being infected with tetanus, it is recommended to go immediately to the hospital to start treatment through:
- Injection of antitoxin directly into the blood to block the action of tetanus toxins, preventing aggravation of symptoms and destruction of nerves; Use of antibiotics, such as metronidazole or penicillin, to eliminate tetanus bacteria and prevent the production of more toxins; Injection of muscle relaxants directly into the blood, such as diazepam, to relieve muscle contraction caused by damage caused by nerve toxins; Ventilation with devices used in the most severe cases where the breathing muscles are very affected
Generally, the person needs to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit to make a constant assessment of the treatment results, avoiding the development of complications that can be life-threatening.
Depending on the severity of the infection, it may be necessary to feed intravenously or through a tube that runs from the nose to the stomach. Often, it is still necessary to introduce a rectal probe to remove the fecal bolus from the body.
After treatment, the tetanus vaccine should be started again as if it were the first time, as you are no longer protected against the disease. Understand how tetanus is transmitted and how to avoid it.
Treatment for neonatal tetanus
Neonatal tetanus, better known as the seven-day disease, is also a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani and affects newborn babies, most often in the first 28 days of life.
The symptoms of neonatal tetanus in the baby can be confused with other diseases and are difficulty in feeding, constant crying, irritability and muscle problems.
This disease can be transmitted by contamination of the umbilical stump, that is, by cutting the umbilical cord after birth with non-sterile instruments, such as scissors and tweezers. The treatment of neonatal tetanus should be done with the baby hospitalized, preferably in an ICU, as it will be necessary to administer medications such as anti-tetanus, antibiotics and sedatives.
Possible complications
If tetanus is not treated quickly it can lead to the appearance of some serious complications as a result of muscle contractures, with difficulty in moving parts of the body, such as the mouth, moving the neck and even walking.
Other complications that can appear because of tetanus are fractures, secondary infections, laryngospasm, which are the involuntary movements in the vocal cords, pneumonia and blockage of the most important artery of the lung, leaving the person with difficulty breathing and, in the most severe cases, in coma.
What to do to prevent
The tetanus vaccine is the most recommended way to prevent infection by the bacteria that causes tetanus, and most of the time the dTpa vaccine is applied, which in addition to protecting against tetanus, also protects the body against whooping cough and diphtheria, and which is available in hospitals and health posts. This vaccine can be applied to babies and adults and three doses should be administered to ensure the vaccine's full effectiveness. Know when to get the tetanus vaccine.
To prevent tetanus it is also necessary to take some precautions when suffering an injury with rusty objects, wash the wound well, keep them covered and always do hand hygiene before touching the injured area. Here's a video that shows you the best way to clean your wounds:
