Tetanus And Rabies Flashcards
Mimics of Tetanus?
Strychnine poisoning
Rabies
Hypocalcaemic tetany
What kind of bacteria is tetanus?
Clostridium Tetani
Anaerobic gram positive bacilli
What is tetanospasmin?
A neurotropic toxin
Travels to spinal cord and disrupts inhibitory neurotransmitters
What is risus sardonicus? Opisthotonus?
Lock jaw smile
Extensive back spasm
How does WHO define tetanus?
It is a clinical diagnosis
How do you Dx tetanus?
Spatula test, they bite down
Clinical diagnosis!!
What is the clinical course?
Injury
7 days later get trismus, dysphagia and back pain
Period of onset is time until spasms which occur around day 10
Typically occur in face, nack, back and rigidity
After day 10, CVS, GI/renal and pyrexia
What are the types of tetanus?
Cephalic tetanus– most rare, lower cranial nerve muscles
Localised tetanus– spasms around muscle of wound, weakness in that leg
Neonatal tetanus
Both progress to generalised tetanus
Treatment?
Minimise light and any stimulus
1st Benzodiazepines , titrate IV benzos such as diazepam and lorazepam
2nd Chlorpromazine
3rd Vecuronium (neuromuscular blockade)
Then use human antitoxin can also use equine
Surgical debridement and metronidazole
Use really short acting beta blockers such as esmolol and morphine, clonidine and magnesium sulphate
Complications of tetanus?
Bone fractures
Rhabdomyolysis
PE
Pressure sores
Muscle rigidity
What is the vaccine?
Need full course of vaccination
You can Never get natural immunity to tetanus!
3 doses followed by 3 boosters
How do you prevent neonatal tetanus?
Clean delivery practice
Vaccinate women of reproductive age
In Jun-immunised pregnant women give them 2 doses of tetanus toxoid one month apart
What is elimination of tetanus defined as?
Elimination defined as <1 NNT case per 1000 live births in every district per year
Is there any reduction in GCS during tetanus, if a patient is confused with muscular spasms is it tetanus?
No!
There is never a reduction in GCS
What causes nocturnal onset of chest discomfort, breathlessness, abdo pain or early morning paralysis?
Caused by Burngarus bites
What are the two main families of snakes?
Viperidae: Relatively short, thich body, short tail and strike like lightening
Elapidae: Relatively long thin body, long tail uniformly coloured
What is the vector of African Tryp?
Glossina Spp.
What are the two species of African Tryp?
T.B. Gambiense is central and West Africa
T.B. Rhodesiense in East Africa
What is the main cause of African sleeping sickness?
Gambiense
What is the most endemic Country of T B Gambiense?
DRC
Gabon
Congo
Which country has both TB Gambiense and TB Rhodiense?
Uganda
Compare clinical features of Rhodesiense with Gambiense
Rhodesiense has trypanosomal chancre ++, can be absent in Gambiense
Haemo-lymphatic stage in Gambiense is low grade fever, no neurological symptoms, typically Posterior Cervical lymphadenopathy
The Haemo-lymphatic stage in Rhodesiense is high fever, lymphadenopathy, rash on legs, multi-organ failure
Meningo-encephalitis stage is seen more in Gambiense compared to rhodesiense as rhodesiense is severe and therefore is diagnosed beforehand
What is time between bite and onset of symptoms in rhodesiense?
10 days
What is winterbottom sign?
Painless poster or Cervical lymphadenopathy in TB Gambiense
What is criteria for diagnosis of Meningo-encephalitis stage?
Presence of tryps in CSF
>5 Leukocytes
(presence of Mott cells)
How do you diagnose gambiense?
CATT (card agglutination test)
LFT
Then go on to do a blood film, lymph node aspiration and use centrifugation methods
Hat in the non endemic setting, who gets rhodesiense vs Gambiense?
Rhodesiense seen almost excludively in tourists from Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia
Mostly diagnosed by blood smear and most are in stage 1, diagnosed within 3 weeks of exposure
Gambiense mostly in migrants
DRC, Gabon and Angola
39% diagnosed by blood smear, 77% diagnosed in stage 2 and diagnostic delay 3-12 months
How do you treat Gambiense?
Fexinidazole for stage 1 and
2nd Stage: Fexinidazole
Except if advanced disease/presence of >100 WBC in CSF where NECT is preferred
Need f/u for 2 years and LP every 6 months if had 2nd Stage Gambiense