title: Mortality of tetanus at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
abstract: Records of 349 tetanus patients, aged 10 years and above, admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between 1990 and 1999 were reviewed. The male:female ratio was 1.98:1, and the ages were between 10 and 88 years, with a mean age of 29.8 years. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) of tetanus was 36.96% (33.19% for men and 44.44% for women). The CFR is similar to that previously reported in the hospital, but higher than that reported from Europe and North America. The lowest CFR was in the 10-19-year age group, and there was a trend towards increasing CFR with increasing age. Tetanus patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) had a significantly higher CFR than those in the medical wards. Unlike in developed countries, where management of tetanus in ICU has resulted in a decrease in CFR, the CFR of tetanus at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has not significantly reduced over the years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. fojini@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Ojini
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Danesi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D013742:Tetanus / Q000401:mortality*