Tetanus (Print Version)

Tetanus is a serious illness caused by tetanus bacteria. The bacteria live in soil, saliva, dust and manure. The bacteria usually enter the body through a deep cut, like those you might get from cutting yourself with a knife or stepping on a nail.

The infection causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to "locking" of the jaw, which makes it impossible to open your mouth or swallow. If this happens, you could die of suffocation.

If you get tetanus, there is usually a long course of treatment. The tetanus vaccine can prevent tetanus but its protection does not last forever. Adults should get a tetanus shot, or booster, every 10 years. If you get a bad cut or burn, see your doctor--you may need a booster.

Start Here

Facts about Tetanus for Adults(National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) - Links to PDF - http://www.nfid.org/pdf/factsheets/tetanusadult.pdf
Tetanus(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/tetanus.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/tetanus_esp.html

Overviews

Tetanus(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/tetanus/DS00227/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Tetanus: Questions and Answers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4220.pdf

Prevention/Screening

Diphtheria Tetanus & Pertussis Vaccine: What You Need to Know(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-dtap.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.immunize.org/vis/spdtap01.pdf
Do I Need a Tetanus Shot?(American College of Emergency Physicians) - http://www3.acep.org/patients.aspx?id=26078
Tetanus Vaccine: Questions & Answers(Immunization Action Coalition) - http://www.vaccineinformation.org/tetanus/qandavax.asp

Related Issues

Tetanus: Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-Tetanus.aspx

Pictures & Photographs

Tetanus (Lockjaw) Photos(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/tetanus/photos.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Trismus(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Trismus%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tetanus(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Tetanus%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Administration of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine to parents... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762489&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: These are the times that try men's soles. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18754261&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Validation of neonatal tetanus elimination in Bangladesh by lot quality-assurance... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18720575&tool=MedlinePlus
Tetanus -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(tetanus[majr]+OR+tetanus+toxoid[majr])+AND+English[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/

Children

Tetanus(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bam.gov/sub_diseases/5710_tetanus.html

Teenagers

Tetanus(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/tetanus.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/tetanus_esp.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Childhood Immunization - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childhoodimmunization.html
Immunization - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunization.html
Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Tetanus is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/

Tetanus - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/tetanus.html