[Clinical and developmental aspects of care-related tetanus in the reference service of the teaching hospital of Abidjan]

Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2011 Feb;104(1):38-41. doi: 10.1007/s13149-010-0092-6. Epub 2010 Nov 19.
[Article in French]

Abstract

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from medical data of inpatients with tetanus in the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the University Hospital of Treichville in Abidjan from January 2003 to December 2007. In five years, 221 cases of tetanus have been hospitalized. The tetanus gateway was found in 188 patients (85%). Tetanus gateway linked to care was found in 22 patients (11.7%). Acts of care in question were intramuscular injections (10 cases) and operative procedures (12 cases). Concerning medical care by intramuscular injection, quinine (four cases), sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (one case), and long-acting penicillin (one case) were the identified drugs. The operative procedures mainly involved were skin sutures (nine cases), cures of hernia (two cases), and flattening of Fournier's gangrene (one case). The average incubation period was 9.5 days. The invasion lasted for an average of 1.8 days. On admission, tetanus was immediately generalized for all patients with the presence of paroxysms in 20 patients (90.9%). The lethality of tetanus related care was 54.5%. The death rate in the first 48 hours of hospitalization was estimated at 83.3%. The average length of hospital stay was 14.6 days. Health workers should be involved in the prevention of tetanus in improving the quality of care and especially in reducing intramuscular injections. Also, any patient not immunized against tetanus should receive anti-tetanus serum and an update of its tetanus vaccine before any invasive procedures.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Cote d'Ivoire / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / etiology
  • Cross Infection / prevention & control
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Equipment Contamination
  • Female
  • Hospitals, University / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Iatrogenic Disease
  • Injections, Intramuscular / adverse effects*
  • Inpatients
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Quality Assurance, Health Care
  • Surgical Wound Infection / epidemiology
  • Surgical Wound Infection / etiology
  • Surgical Wound Infection / prevention & control
  • Sutures / adverse effects
  • Tetanus / epidemiology
  • Tetanus / etiology*
  • Tetanus / prevention & control
  • Tetanus Toxoid
  • Vaccination
  • Wound Infection / epidemiology
  • Wound Infection / etiology*
  • Wound Infection / prevention & control
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Tetanus Toxoid