title: Autonomic dysfunction because of severe tetanus in an unvaccinated child.
abstract: Tetanus is rare in a country with a national vaccination program. When it does occur, the associated autonomic dysfunction is a challenge for physicians. We report here a case of an unvaccinated 5-year-old boy who suffered from tetanus complicated by autonomic dysfunction, which was successfully controlled by the infusion of magnesium sulfate. This is the first case that demonstrated the therapeutic effect of magnesium sulfate in a child with tetanus. This case highlights the importance of implementing a vaccination program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Syuan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li-Kuang
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Teng-Yi
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shu-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Ming-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Rong-Hwa
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D013742:Tetanus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate