title: [Did we forget tetanus?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.forename: Djordje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alempijević
authors.forename: Ivanka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baralić
authors.forename: Milosav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiurski
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jecmenica
authors.forename: Snezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pavlekić
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zivković
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013742:Tetanus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D014611:Vaccination; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid