Tetanus immunity in nursing home residents of Bolu, Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Tetanus is a serious but vaccine-preventable disease and fatality rate of the disease is high in the neonates and the elderly. The aim of this study was to detect the tetanus antibody prevalence in the over sixty-year age residents of the nursing homes in Bolu.


METHODS
A voluntary-based study was done in the residents of two nursing homes in Bolu, Turkey. Blood samples were taken from 71 volunteers residing in there nursing homes. Tetanus IgG antibodies were measured by a commercial ELISA kit.


RESULTS
Among overall subjects, only 11 (15.7 %) had the protective tetanus antibody titers at the time of the study. Totally, 10 subjects were examined in emergency rooms due to trauma or accidents within the last ten years and, four (40%) of them had protective antibody levels. Of the remaining 61 subjects only 7 (11%) had protective antibody levels (p < 0.05) [Relative Risk = 3.49, 95% Confidence Interval 1.24-9.77].


CONCLUSIONS
Tetanus antibody level is below the protective level in the majority of the over-sixty-year-age subjects residing in the nursing homes. Each over sixty-year age person in our country should be vaccinated. Until this is accomplished, at least, nursing home residents should be vaccinated during registration.
Karabay
Oguz
O
Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Golkoy, Bolu, Turkey. drkarabay@yahoo.com
Ozkardes
Fatma
F
Tamer
Ali
A
Karaarslan
Kazim
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000276:immunology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010343:Patient Admission; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013742:Tetanus / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014421:Turkey; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid