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Tetanus: lest we forget

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Kenneth C. Dittrich*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Bashar Keilany
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*
King Fahad National Guard Hospital, PO Box 22490 Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia, dittrich@zajil.net

Abstract

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Tetanus is a life threatening infection that is rarely encountered in clinical practice. Knowledge of the condition is necessary to ensure optimal management. A 30-year-old male presented with classic signs and symptoms of the disease, including trismus, risus sardonicus, paroxysmal muscle spasms and autonomic instability. The pathophysiology and modern management of this condition are reviewed.

Type
Case Report • Observations
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2001

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