Pattern and Outcome of Tetanus in a Tertiary Health Facility in North West Nigeria
Aliyu, A.; Dahiru, T.; Obiako, R.O.; Amadu, L.; Biliaminu, L.B.; Akase, E.I.
Ethiopian Medical Journal 54(2): 69-75
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-1755 PMID: 27476226 Document Number: 685934
Tetanus, a disease that is largely preventable, is still a major public health problem in the developing world and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of published literature on adult (non-neonatal) tetanus in this study area in Nigeria. This was a study describing the clinical characteristics of patients who were clinically diagnosed with tetanus in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria, northwest of Nigeria between January 2001 and December 2014. A total of 91 cases were reviewed. The mean patient age was 20 years, and male to female ratio 2.9:1. The majority (88%) of patients were < 40 years old. The mean onset period was 19 days, nearly all patients (96.7%) had generalized tetanus, and the commonest presenting signs were spasm (93.4%) and trimus (78.0%). The most common site of injury was lower limbs (64.8% of cases). The complication rate was 71.4% and case fatality was 48.4%. Tetanus is still a major public health problem in our setting and affects the younger age group with a high case fatality rate. The incidence of tetanus can be reduced drastically by an effective and sustained immunization program.