The Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Toxigenic Clostridium tetani Infection: A Case-Control Study.

Tetanus arises from wound contamination with Clostridium tetani, but approximately one fifth of patients have no discernable entry wound. Clostridium tetani is culturable from animal feces, suggesting the gastrointestinal tract could be an endogenous reservoir or direct-entry portal, but human data are lacking. In this study of 101 Vietnamese adults with tetanus and 29 hospitalized control subjects, admission stool samples were cultured for C. tetani. Anti-tetanus toxin antibodies were measured by ELISA. Clostridium tetani toxigenicity was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Toxigenic C. tetani was cultured from stool samples in 50 of 100 (50%) tetanus cases and 12 of 28 (42.9%) control subjects (P = 0.50), and stool samples of 44 of 85 (52.4%) tetanus cases with clinically identified wounds compared with 6 of 15 (47.6%) patients without clinically identified wounds (P = 0.28). Nine of 12 (75%) control subjects with toxigenic C. tetani in their stool samples lacked protective antibody concentrations. These findings fail to show evidence of an association between gastrointestinal C. tetani and tetanus infection, but emphasize the importance of increasing vaccination coverage.

The management of tetanus in adults in an intensive care unit in Southern Vietnam.

Background: Tetanus remains common in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) yet the evidence base guiding management of this disease is extremely limited, particularly with respect to contemporary management options. Sharing knowledge about practice may facilitate improvement in outcomes elsewhere. Methods: We describe clinical interventions and outcomes of 180 adult patients ≥16 years-old with tetanus enrolled in prospective observational studies at a specialist infectious diseases hospital in Southern Vietnam. Patients were treated according to a holistic management protocol encompassing wound-care, antitoxin, antibiotics, symptom control, airway management, nutrition and de-escalation criteria. Results: Mortality rate in our cohort was 2.8%, with 90 (50%) patients requiring mechanical ventilation for a median 16 [IQR 12-24] days. Median [IQR] duration of ICU stay was 15 [8-23] days.  Autonomic nervous system dysfunction occurred in 45 (25%) patients. Hospital acquired infections occurred in 77 (43%) of patients. Conclusion: We report favourable outcomes for patients with tetanus in a single centre LMIC ICU, treated according to a holistic protocol. Nevertheless, many patients required prolonged intensive care support and hospital acquired infections were common.

Risk factors associated with mechanical ventilation, autonomic nervous dysfunction and physical outcome in Vietnamese adults with tetanus.

BACKGROUND: Tetanus remains common in many low- and middle-income countries, but as critical care services improve, mortality from tetanus is improving. Nevertheless, patients develop severe syndromes associated with autonomic nervous system disturbance (ANSD) and the requirement for mechanical ventilation (MV). Understanding factors associated with worse outcome in such settings is important to direct interventions. In this study, we investigate risk factors for disease severity and long-term physical outcome in adults with tetanus admitted to a Vietnamese intensive care unit. METHODS: Clinical and demographic variables were collected prospectively from 180 adults with tetanus. Physical function component scores (PCS), calculated from Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), were assessed in 79 patients at hospital discharge, 3 and 6 months post discharge. RESULTS: Age, temperature, heart rate, lower peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and shorter time from first symptom to admission were associated with MV (OR 1.03 [ 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.05], p = 0.04; OR 2.10 [95% CI 1.03, 4.60], p = 0.04; OR 1.04 [ 95% CI 1.01, 1.07], p = 0.02); OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.66, 0.94], p = 0.02 and OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.52, 0.79, p < 0.001, respectively). Heart rate, SpO2 and time from first symptom to admission were associated with ANSD (OR 1.03 [95% CI 1.01, 1.06], p < 0.01; OR 0.95 [95% CI 0.9, 1.00], p = 0.04 and OR 0.64 [95% CI 0.48, 0.80], p < 0.01, respectively). Median [interquartile range] PCS at hospital discharge, 3 and 6 months were 32.37 [24.95-41.57, 53.0 [41.6-56.3] and 54.8 [51.6-57.3], respectively. Age, female sex, admission systolic blood pressure, admission SpO2, MV, ANSD, midazolam requirement, hospital-acquired infection, pressure ulcer and duration of ICU and hospital stay were associated with reduced 0.25 quantile PCS at 6 months after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: MV and ANSD may be suitable endpoints for future research. Risk factors for reduced physical function at 3 months and 6 months post discharge suggest that modifiable features during hospital management are important determinants of long-term outcome.