Tetanus

An acute, potentially fatal disease caused by tetanus bacilli multiplying at the site of an injury and producing an exotoxin that reaches the central nervous system producing prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibres. Also called lockjaw.

An acute, sometimes fatal, disease of the central nervous system; caused by the toxin of the tetanus bacterium.

An acute infectious disease caused by a bacillus and characterized by rigid spasmodic contractions of various voluntary muscles especially of the jaw.

The continuous contraction of a muscle, under repeated stimuli from a motor nerve.

An infection caused by Clostridium tetani in the soil, which affects the spinal cord and causes spasms in the muscles which occur first in the jaw.

A severe disease caused by a bacterium present all around us that enters the body through a break in the skin, especially a deep puncture with a piece of metal. Once in the body, tetanus bacteria produce a powerful toxin, or poison, that attacks the body’s nervous system. From the first symptoms of headache, irritability, and stiffness in the neck and jaw, the disease progresses to spasms that completely lock the jaw, neck, and limbs, produce rigidity in the abdominal muscles, and cause painful convulsions. Often associated with tetanus are pneumonia, fractures, and exhaustion from the muscle spasms. Once tetanus takes hold, doctors can use tranquilizers and antispasmodic drugs to treat some of the symptoms, but they cannot treat the underlying disease, which kills four out of 10 people who contract it. Fortunately, a vaccine exists that is normally given to children as part of a combination DTP vaccine in a series of five injections between ages two months and six years, with booster shots of Td vaccine given every 10 years thereafter.

Acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by an exotoxin produced by the Clostridium tetani bacterium. The bacterium, common in the soil, esp. in farm areas, infects wounds with dead tissue, as in a puncture wound, laceration, or bum. Symptoms include fever, headache, irritability, and painful spasms of the muscles, causing lockjaw and laryngeal spasm, and, if untreated, leading to muscle spasm of virtually every organ. Prompt and thorough cleaning of wounds is important to prevent tetanus. Treatment of the disease includes use of tetanus toxoid and antibiotics, maintenance of an airway if laryngeal spasm occurs, control of muscle spasms, and sedation. Also called lockjaw.

Infection with the bacillus Clostridium tetani in deep puncture wounds; characterized by gross muscular rigidity, severe muscle spasms, respiratory failure, and death.

A serious infection caused by a Clostridium bacterium, causing severe muscle spasm, including clamping of the jaw (lockjaw). Acquired through puncture or other wounds. Immunization prevents the infection.

A bacterial disease that affects the nervous system. Tetanus, sometimes called lockjaw, is now a rare disease because of widespread immunization. The bacteria that cause the disease are found throughout the environment and are often seen in soil contaminated with animal manure. A person can contract tetanus by bacterial contamination of an open wound on the skin or mucous membrane. When the bacterium, Clostridium tetani, contaminates a wound, it produces a toxin called tetanospasmin, which attaches to nerves around the wound area. Inside the nerves, the toxin is transported to the brain or spinal cord, interfering with the normal activity of the nerves, especially those that signal muscle activity.

An acute infectious disease, affecting the nervous system, caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Infection occurs by contamination of wounds by bacterial spores. Bacteria multiply at the site of infection and produce a toxin that irritates nerves so that they cause spasmodic contraction of muscles. Symptoms appear 4-25 days after infection and consist of muscle stiffness, spasm, and subsequent rigidity, first in the jaw and neck then in the back, chest, abdomen, and limbs; in severe cases the spasm may affect the whole body, which is arched backward. High fever, convulsions, and extreme pain are common. If respiratory muscles are affected, a tracheostomy is essential to avoid death from asphyxia. Mortality is high in untreated cases but prompt treatment with penicillin and antitoxin is effective. An attack does not confer immunity. Immunization against tetanus is effective but temporary,

Also called lockjaw, this is a bacterial infection of the nervous system. Increased excitability of the spinal cord results in painful and prolonged spasms of the voluntary muscles throughout the body, rapidly leading to death unless treated.

An acute, life-threatening illness caused by a toxin (tetanospasmin) produced in infected wounds by the bacillus Clostridium tetani. The disease is marked by extreme muscular rigidity, violent muscle spasms, and often, respiratory and autonomic failure. Because of proactive immunization programs in the U.S., the disease affects only 50 patients annually. In nations without effective immunization programs, the disease is exceptionally common and usually deadly.

Tetanus, commonly known as lockjaw, is an infrequent yet potentially lethal infection triggered by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This microorganism thrives in soil, dust, and animal waste.