A 12 -year -old boy from Mehedinti County was saved by the doctors of the “Victor Babeș” Infectious Diseases Hospital in Timișoara, after being diagnosed with tetanus. The child, who had not been vaccinated, stuck in the sole with a rusty nail. “Tetanos is a deadly disease, and vaccination is the only method of prevention ”, explained for the “truth” the epidemiologist Mihai Negrea.
The child stuck in the sole with a rusty nail. Archive
“Romania is an endemic area for tetanus”, explains the specialist. “
We always have cases of illness, And the infection occurs when the bacterium, which we take from the soil, penetrates deep into the tissue. This can happen if we cut, we sting. And it is not mandatory to be only in a rusty nail. It can be sheet, glass etc ”, the doctor continues.
What is tetanus and how can you infect
Tetanos is a rare disease, which endangers life, and is caused by the toxins released by the bacteria Clostridium Tetani, we find from the European Portal of Vaccination Information. People get sick of tetanus when bacteria in the natural environment enter a wound. “The bacteria itself does not hurt us. However, once it has entered the body, it is detected by antibodies and destroyed. At this moment, in fact, the big problem appears. Following the destruction, the bacteria releases tetanic toxin, a toxin that seriously affects the body ”, explains Dr. Negrea.
The increase, which remains latent in nature, says the specialist, once it has penetrated deep into the skin, develops and gives birth to bacteria that begin to multiply. However, in order for the process to take place, a condition is needed: the area in which the spores arrive must be completely listed. “This is why it is recommended to use oxygenated water on scratches or sting. But that does not mean that we no longer introduce ourselves to the doctor. On the contrary, in order to be outside any danger the doctor should see you within the first 72 hours after the incident is produced. ”
Any person can be infected and ill of tetanus, at any age. However, the disease occurs most commonly in people who have not been completely vaccinated in childhood or who have not received the necessary booster doses. The workers who are in permanent contact with the soil and garbage should be particularly careful. Most cases of illness are observed in people over 60 years old. The reason? Their level of protection has decreased over time, especially if they have not received childhood rape doses.
Doctor: “The patient can no longer breathe and die through asphyxiation”
The easiest to recognize tetanus symptom is to claw the jaw, which makes it difficult to open and close the mouth. Other symptoms are muscle spasms, difficulty swallowing, seizures, fast heartbeat, difficulty breathing and fever. “Tetanus produces spastic paralysis. A muscle paralysis that will eventually prevent you from breathing. Basically, the patient dies through asphyxiation ”explains the epidemiologist. But these symptoms do not appear immediately after you have stuck or scratched. “We can spend weeks to the first signs of illness. And this is because the spores develop in their rhythm, as well as the bacteria, as well as the immune system that fights against them. It is a matter of time until toxin is released into the body. It’s a whole process here. It’s not like taking the influenza virus that gives us symptoms immediately. “
The disease, preventable by vaccination
To prevent infection, you need to vaccinate. If you are not immunized, you will receive the vaccine once you present at the doctor “You can vaccinate even in the family doctor’s office, if it has a vaccine on stock. ”
In Romania, vaccination is done until the age of 18 through the national vaccination program. “Children up to 14 receive 4 doses of vaccine. This means that up to 15 years they can hit, cut, sting without being in danger of infecting with tetanus ”, the doctor explains to us.
Babies are immunized at 2, 4 and 11 months through the hexavalent vaccine. “Then follow the doses of DTP itself. But adults must also be vaccinated. It is recommended that the immunization take place every 10 years. ”
The cases of illness are, fortunately, rare, explains the epidemiologist. Therefore, it does not mean that every time we cut, sting or scratch we are in imminent danger of infecting us with tetanus. “Generally speaking, 10,000 people can be infected to say around 10”.
Without treatment, however, the disease is deadly. “Antibiotics, in this case, are not recommended. On the contrary. These would lead to faster neutralization of the bacterium and, implicitly, to the release of toxin. On the other hand, it should be known that, once the first symptoms have appeared, the vaccine no longer does its effect, becoming, practically, useless. So it will intervene in other ways. For example, interventions are trying to destroy toxin ”. There are also experimental treatment schemes. “Surgical, the affected tissue is eliminated. However, this is not widely practiced, it is not commonplace. It depends a lot on the situation. “
Advice for parents
Doctor Mihai Negrea recommends parents to be very attentive where the little ones play. “Children often play in the ground or in the sand pit. It is advisable to carefully check the area: if they are nails, chunks, plastic, sheet, wires, sharp, sharp objects, etc. The space must be a safe one. “
Obviously, vaccination gets rid of any worries. “Vaccination, through the national vaccination scheme, is free and is done in the family doctor’s office. On the other hand, even vaccinated, any child should be taken to the doctor. There are parents who do not remember whether or not they vaccinated their children. But those immunized, like adults, in fact, are in the system. Therefore, the doctor will find out exactly the situation of the child and, depending on that, he will decide how to do it ”, the expert said.
