title: Profile and outcome of patients with post-neonatal tetanus in a tertiary centre in south west Nigeria: any remarkable reduction in the scourge?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of tetanus has remained unacceptably high in developing countries. We aimed to describe the profile and outcome of children with tetanus admitted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective and cross-sectional study of children aged 1 month to 12 years of age admitted with clinical diagnosis of tetanus, between January 2011 and December 2013, at the Paediatric department of LASUTH. The age, sex, presenting complaint, immunization status, portal of entry, socio-economic class, complications, duration of admission and outcome of the subjects were analyzed using Microsoft Excel supplemented with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. Level of significance set at p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 49 subject participated in the study. Male: Female ratio was 1.7: 1.0. mean age±SD of 6.5±3.2 years. Only 24.5% of the subjects were fully immunized, lower limb injury was the most common portal of entry (34.7%). Majority (79.6) were of the middle and lower social classes. Most of the subjects (67.3%) presented with generalised spasm. Only 1 patient (2.0%) did not have trismus. Case fatality rate was 4.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tetanus is still prevalent among children in our environment. It is commoner among those with no immunization or incomplete immunization, commoner in those in the middle and lower social class. Lower limb injury was the most common portal of entry. Trismus was a common presenting feature. There is a need to develop programmes with will help improve compliance to immunization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Barakat Adeola
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Animasahun
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olusegun Henry
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Gbelee
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aminat Titilayo
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ogunlana
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olisamedua Fidelis
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Njokanma
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olumuyiwa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Odusanya
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013742:Tetanus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014313:Trismus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D013745:Tetanus Toxoid
keywords: Tetanus; developing; immunization; lower limb; socio-economic class