Tetanus Kills, Beware.

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN 12 YEARS AND BELOW.

1. WebMD. Immonoglobulins. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/immunoglobulins. Accessed 5 February, 2009.

2. Patient UK. Tetanus Immunisation. Available at: http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068839/. Accessed 5 February, 2009.

3. MedicineNet.com. Tetanus (Lockjaw) Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Vaccine, Treatment on MedicineNet.com. Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/tetanus/article.htm. Accessed 4 February, 2009.

4. BBC Home. BBC – Health – Conditions – Tetanus. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/tetanus2.shtml. Accessed 4 February, 2009.

5. University of Maryland Medical Center. Tetanus – Overview. Available at: http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000615.htm. Accessed 4 February, 2009.

6. KidsHealth for parents. Tetanus. Available at: http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&article_set=22981&cat_id=20028&&ps=105. Accessed 4 February, 2009.

7. BlogSkins.com. Skin Info – Find Comfort In Pain, salt-shaker! Available at: http://blogskins.com/info/96785. Accessed 5 February, 2009.

8. BlogSkins.com. Skin Info – 07. d.emergencies – injected. Available at: http://blogskins.com/info/141981. Accessed 5 February, 2009.

THE FABULOUS FOUR

Faizah Omar (0701061D)
Nur Asyqin Bte Moghni (0703329C)
Benjamin Nah Jing Wen (0606896I)
Vanessa Chong Yuting (0701926H)

Class TA03

DID YOU KNOW?
Tetanus is also known as Lock Jaw!

What is Tetanus?
Tetanus is a terminal causing disease of the nervous system that is produced by the bacteria, Clostridium tetani.

What are the sources and sites for its entry into our body?
Sources of this bacterium are:
Soil and animal faeces. They are also naturally found in animals and human intestines.

The site for tetanus to grow is mainly on contaminated wounds. Wounds that are deep or have dead tissue are likely to cause tetanus infection. Ruptured wounds caused by, for this case, the rusty fish hook, are ideal locations for the bacterium to access.

What are the signs and symptoms of Tetanus infection?
Signs and Symptoms
• Spasms of jaw muscles
• Tiredness or weakness
• Spasms of face muscles
• Problems with swallowing or breathing
• Arching of the back and neck
• Inability to pass urine
• Sweating
• Abnormal heart rate and blood pressure

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Question 3
You accidentally step on a rusty fish hook, while walking along the beach. There is profuse bleeding and you rush to the nearby clinic. The nurse dresses the wound and gives a tetanus injection. Explain the reason for the administration of the injection and the consequences of not administering the tetanus injection.

Reason for administration
The vaccine helps to stimulate production of the IgG antibodies against the tetanus toxin. Immunoglbulin G (IgG) antibodies are the smallest but most common antibody, present in all body fluids, contributing 75-80% of all antibodies present in the body. IgG antibodies neutralize the toxins and binds to pathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi. Also, they are the only type of antibody that can cross the placenta in pregnant women, protecting the foetus.

Consequences of not administering

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