Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Latest
    • Archive
    • home
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
    • Join SMJ
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Office
    • Editorial Board
  • More
    • Advertising
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Folders
    • Help
  • Other Publications
    • NeuroSciences Journal

User menu

  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
Saudi Medical Journal
  • Other Publications
    • NeuroSciences Journal
  • My alerts
  • Log in
Saudi Medical Journal

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Latest
    • Archive
    • home
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
    • Join SMJ
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Office
    • Editorial Board
  • More
    • Advertising
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Folders
    • Help
  • Follow psmmc on Twitter
  • Visit psmmc on Facebook
  • RSS
Research ArticleOriginal Article
Open Access

Tetanus experience in a public hospital in Western Saudi Arabia

Eman H. Lubbad, Adil M. Khazindar and Muhammad Ayyub
Saudi Medical Journal December 2003, 24 (12) 1325-1328;
Eman H. Lubbad
Consultant Internist, King Abdul-Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center, PO Box 31467, Jeddah 21497, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (2) 6375555 Ext. 1400. Fax. +966 (2) 6379442. E-mail: [email protected]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Adil M. Khazindar
Department of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Muhammad Ayyub
Department of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Tetanus although rare, has not been eradicated and continues to present from time to time. Early diagnosis and management may be life saving. This study aims to evaluate all patients admitted with clinical diagnosis of tetanus in King Abdul-Aziz Hospital Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the last 3 years.

METHODS: All patients admitted with clinical diagnosis of Tetanus in King Abdul-Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center from January 2000 through to December 2002 were retrospectively reviewed and data was analyzed to determine the demographic features, clinical details, management, and outcome of treatment.

RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were admitted during this period. All patients were diagnosed in emergency room by clinical examination. Their ages ranged from 22-68 years. The immunization status of these patients was unknown. All of them were males with 4 of them being injection-drug users. Eight patients had a definite history of injury mainly involving the lower limbs. The incubation period ranged from 5-30 days. Nine patients required mechanical ventilation for a period varying from 2-4 weeks. All patients received Tetanus Immunoglobulin with a dose ranging from 500-3000 unit. The spasms were mainly controlled by diazepam infusion with a maximum dose of 480mg/day. Magnesium sulphate was used in 6 patients to control spasms and autonomic dysfunction. Metronidazole was used in addition to Benzyl Penicillin in 9 patients. Out of the 11 cases 10 were discharged home and only one patient died 6 days after admission.

CONCLUSION: Tetanus is still a problem in developing countries. It is a potentially fatal disease, without early medical intervention. Primary immunization and scheduled booster immunization are important preventive measures that have greatly reduced the incidence of tetanus.

  • Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Saudi Medical Journal: 24 (12)
Saudi Medical Journal
Vol. 24, Issue 12
1 Dec 2003
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Cover (PDF)
  • Index by author
Download PDF
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Saudi Medical Journal.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Tetanus experience in a public hospital in Western Saudi Arabia
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Saudi Medical Journal
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Saudi Medical Journal web site.
Citation Tools
Tetanus experience in a public hospital in Western Saudi Arabia
Eman H. Lubbad, Adil M. Khazindar, Muhammad Ayyub
Saudi Medical Journal Dec 2003, 24 (12) 1325-1328;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Tetanus experience in a public hospital in Western Saudi Arabia
Eman H. Lubbad, Adil M. Khazindar, Muhammad Ayyub
Saudi Medical Journal Dec 2003, 24 (12) 1325-1328;
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • The risk factors for cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Saudi Arabia
  • Prolonged flight exposure and its effects on sinonasal health among aircrew members
  • Identifying individuals at risk of post-stroke depression
Show more Original Article

Similar Articles

CONTENT

  • home

JOURNAL

  • home

AUTHORS

  • home
Saudi Medical Journal

© 2025 Saudi Medical Journal Saudi Medical Journal is copyright under the Berne Convention and the International Copyright Convention.  Saudi Medical Journal is an Open Access journal and articles published are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC). Readers may copy, distribute, and display the work for non-commercial purposes with the proper citation of the original work. Electronic ISSN 1658-3175. Print ISSN 0379-5284.

Powered by HighWire