Dental Caries as a Risk Factor of Tetanus

Abstract

Tetanus is an acute toxemia caused by neurotoxins of Clostridium tetani with characterized periodic and severe muscle spasms. Clostridium tetani spores usually enter the body through the skin due to wounds , dental caries, punctured or burns as well as in umbilical cord infection (tetanus neonatorum). W, 7 years 3 months years old, presented with seizures 20 days before admitting to the hospital. The patient had a seizure, characterized by sudden severe tonic muscle contraction, with a fist grasping, arm flexion and adduction and hyperextension of the feet which occurred after the patient received stimulation. There was not any loss of consciousness. There was no relaxed muscle period even the patient was not seizure. The.....of the patient still rigid and cannot be opened. This patient have a habit prying his teeth that are missing last month and there was not history of immunization, including DPT. Treatment that given to this patient were ATS 20,000 units a day for two days, Metronidazole 100 mg / 8 hours, phenobarbital 30 mg / 4 hours, and Ceftriaxon 100 mg / 8 hours, maintaining oral hygiene and isolation to avoid stimuli. According to the scoring system of Cole and Youngman (1969), this is the case of tetanus degree 2 with mortality 10-20%