- Tetanus symptoms
- Tetanus reasons
- Treatment of Tetanus
Tetanus - an acute infectious disease of the person and animals from group of wound mephitic gangrenes. It is characterized by the defeat of a nervous system which is shown in the form of spasms of skeletal muscles with possible development of asphyxia.
Taking into account entrance infection atriums distinguish:
* traumatic tetanus;
* the tetanus which developed as a result of inflammatory and destructive processes;
* cryptogenic tetanus (with the obscure entrance gate).
On prevalence of process the disease is divided into the general (generalized) and local tetanus. The last is observed seldom.
The incubation interval varies from several days to 1 month, on average without exceeding 1-2 weeks. The disease begins sharply, only sometimes note the prodromal phenomena in the form of tension and twitching of muscles in the place of wound, an indisposition, a headache, perspiration, irritability.
During an initial stage of tetanus regarding cases its most precursory symptom - dull nagging pains in the field of entrance infection atriums, even in already completely healed wounds can be shown. The main specific symptoms arising during this period - a lockjaw, a cynic spasm", a dysphagy and a stiff neck. These signs appear early and almost at the same time.
* A lockjaw - tension and convulsive reduction of masseters that leads to the complicated opening of a mouth.
* Tonic spasms of mimic muscles are expressed in "cynic spasm" (risus sardonicus) giving to the face of the patient a peculiar expression: a wrinkled forehead, the narrowed palpebral fissures, the stretched lips, the lowered mouth corners.
* The dysphagy (the complicated painful swallowing) is caused by a convulsive spasm of muscles of a throat. The combination of a lockjaw, "cynic spasm" and a dysphagy is characteristic only of tetanus.
* The stiff neck caused by tonic spasms of skeletal muscles at tetanus is not a meningeal symptom and is not combined with other meningeal signs (Kernig's signs, Brudzinsky, etc.).
At the height of a disease painful tonic spasms extend to muscles of a trunk and extremities (without taking a brush and foot). The tonic muscle tension is constant, relaxation of muscles, as a rule, does not happen even in a dream. Accurately appear, especially at men, contours of large skeletal muscles. From the 3-4th day of a disease of a muscle of an abdominal wall become firm as a board, legs are more often extended, the movements in them are limited. At the same time intercostal muscles and a diaphragm are involved in process, breath becomes superficial and speeded up. The tonic muscle tension of a crotch leads to difficulty of defecation and an urination. As a result of the expressed tension and morbidity of muscles of a back at heavy tetanus the opisthotonos develops: at position of the patient on spin his head is thrown back back, a lumbar part of a body is raised over a bed in such a way that between a back and a bed it is possible to push a hand.
Against the background of the constant tonic tension of skeletal muscles periodically with various frequency there are tetanic spasms. Their duration at first fluctuates from several seconds to one minute. Most often they are provoked by acoustical, visual and tactile irritants. In mild cases of a disease observe 1-2 attacks of spasms a day, at the heavy course of tetanus they can repeat to tens of times within an hour, become longer and widespread. Attacks of spasms arise suddenly. At the same time the face of the patient accepts suffering expression and becomes cyanochroic, contours of muscles appear more accurately, the opisthotonos amplifies. Patients groan and shout because of pains, try to grasp with hands a bed back to facilitate breath. Body temperature, skin increases (especially persons) becomes covered by large drops of sweat, note hypersalivation, tachycardia, short wind, cardiac sounds loud, arterial pressure is inclined to increase. The convulsive syndrome develops and amplifies at preservation of clear consciousness of the patient