Reduction of mortality due to tetanus by immunisation and proper wound management of the patients in Sengerema Designated District Hospital, Tanzania.
Tetanus is a life-threatening, preventable infection with a high mortality. Our aim was to determine the changes in incidence and case fatality rate at Sengerema Designated District Hospital in a retrospective review of patients who had been hospitalised with tetanus between 1962 and 2012. In the 1970s and 1980s a vaccination campaign was organised in order to cover the whole district and to provide immunity for tetanus. Data are based on 476 cases with a fatal outcome in 305 cases. The case fatality rate has declined from 74% between 1982 and 1991 to 11.1% currently. Improved facilities are required in order to significantly reduce adverse outcome from tetanus.
Biomedical Science Student, PHC Laboratory, Amstelveen, the Netherlands.
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D
Melkert
Nursing Officer, Sengerema Designated District Hospital, Mwanza Region, Tanzania, East Africa.
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L
Kahema
Pathologist, Institute for Pathology, Papenburg, Germany p.melkert@gmail.com.
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P
Melkert
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013742:Tetanus / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Immunisation; mortality; tetanus; treatment