Clostridium tetani
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Bacteria - Gram Positive
- Staph aureus: Overview
- Staph aureus: Presentation
- Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus (MRSA)
- Staph saprophyticus
- Strep pneumoniae: Overview
- Strep pneumoniae: Presentation
- Strep viridans
- Strep pyogenes: Overview
- Strep pyogenes: Presentation
- Strep agalactiae
- Strep bovis
- Enterococcus
- Bacillus anthracis
- Bacillus cereus
- Clostridium tetani
- Clostridium perfringens
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridium difficile
- Corynebacterium diphtheriae
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Nocardia
- Actinomyces
Clostridium tetani
- Characteristics
- Common to all bacteria in Clostridia family
- Gram + rods
- Obligate anaerobic
- Spore-forming
- Produces tetanospasmin (toxin)
- Blocks release of GABA and glycine (inhibitory neurotransmitters) in spinal neurons that regulate motor neurons
- Removal of inhibition causes increased muscle activation (spasms)
- Blocks release of GABA and glycine (inhibitory neurotransmitters) in spinal neurons that regulate motor neurons
- Exposure
- Trauma (piercing/puncture wound)
- Occurs in people who have not be vaccinated
- Trauma (piercing/puncture wound)
- Presentation: tetanus
- trismus (lockjaw)
- sardonic smile
- Also called risus sardonicus (raised eyebrows and open grin)
- muscle spasms
- Includes opisthotonos (spasms of spinal extensors)
- irritability
- neonatal tetanus
- colonization of the umbilical stump in neonates born to unvaccinated mothers
- inability to suck or cry after day 2 of life
- Treatment
- Prevent with tetanus toxoid vaccine
- Elicits humoral (antibody) immunity to tetanus toxin (tetanospasmin)
- More common in developing countries due to low rates of vaccination
- Antitoxin +/- vaccine booster
- For patients with contaminated or dirty wounds
- Antibiotics
- Benzodiazepines (diazepam) for muscle spasms
- Wound debridement
- Prevent with tetanus toxoid vaccine