Did we forget tetanus?
Introduction. Currently, in our country (Republic of Serbia) tetanus is a rarely occurring disease, mainly affecting people older than 65 years of age. A small number of reported cases is mainly due to appropriate immunization. Therefore, each case of tetanus may be considered as failure of health c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Serbian Medical Society
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0370-8179/2009/0370-81790908430A.pdf |
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| author | Alempijević Đorđe Baralić Ivanka Kiurski Milosav Ječmenica Dragan Pavlekić Snežana Živković Vladimir Savić Slobodan |
| author_facet | Alempijević Đorđe Baralić Ivanka Kiurski Milosav Ječmenica Dragan Pavlekić Snežana Živković Vladimir Savić Slobodan |
| author_sort | Alempijević Đorđe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction. Currently, in our country (Republic of Serbia) tetanus is a rarely occurring disease, mainly affecting people older than 65 years of age. A small number of reported cases is mainly due to appropriate immunization. Therefore, each case of tetanus may be considered as failure of health care system to provide adequate immunization. Case outline. A 71-year-old woman was injured in her garden. She sustained laceration in the left coccygeal region. The next day the wound was treated by a surgeon, but tetanus postexposure prophylaxis was not administrated. On the fifth day following the incident, the symptoms and signs of tetanus became apparent, and the patient died two days later. Postmortem examination revealed the wound that was not adequately treated, since there was a foreign body and a dressing inserted in the wound. Signs of acute (aerobic) infection were also present. Conclusion. Tetanus is a severe, potentially lethal disease that is absolutely preventable. Mistakes in immunization and surgical treatment of the wound can be considered as medical malpractice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T15:15:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e20d2463c29e41d58485c9976cc8f721 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-8179 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T15:15:47Z |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
| publisher | Serbian Medical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo |
| spelling | doaj.art-e20d2463c29e41d58485c9976cc8f7212022-12-21T20:16:09ZengSerbian Medical SocietySrpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo0370-81792009-01-011377-843043310.2298/SARH0908430ADid we forget tetanus?Alempijević ĐorđeBaralić IvankaKiurski MilosavJečmenica DraganPavlekić SnežanaŽivković VladimirSavić SlobodanIntroduction. Currently, in our country (Republic of Serbia) tetanus is a rarely occurring disease, mainly affecting people older than 65 years of age. A small number of reported cases is mainly due to appropriate immunization. Therefore, each case of tetanus may be considered as failure of health care system to provide adequate immunization. Case outline. A 71-year-old woman was injured in her garden. She sustained laceration in the left coccygeal region. The next day the wound was treated by a surgeon, but tetanus postexposure prophylaxis was not administrated. On the fifth day following the incident, the symptoms and signs of tetanus became apparent, and the patient died two days later. Postmortem examination revealed the wound that was not adequately treated, since there was a foreign body and a dressing inserted in the wound. Signs of acute (aerobic) infection were also present. Conclusion. Tetanus is a severe, potentially lethal disease that is absolutely preventable. Mistakes in immunization and surgical treatment of the wound can be considered as medical malpractice.http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0370-8179/2009/0370-81790908430A.pdftetanusimmunizationdeathmedico-legal aspects |
| spellingShingle | Alempijević Đorđe Baralić Ivanka Kiurski Milosav Ječmenica Dragan Pavlekić Snežana Živković Vladimir Savić Slobodan Did we forget tetanus? Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo tetanus immunization death medico-legal aspects |
| title | Did we forget tetanus? |
| title_full | Did we forget tetanus? |
| title_fullStr | Did we forget tetanus? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Did we forget tetanus? |
| title_short | Did we forget tetanus? |
| title_sort | did we forget tetanus |
| topic | tetanus immunization death medico-legal aspects |
| url | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0370-8179/2009/0370-81790908430A.pdf |
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