Diagnosis of tetanus by an otorhinolaryngologist and immunity against tetanus among adults on the island of Crete

• Published in: Journal of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery Vol. 37; no. 1; p. 72
• Main Authors: Kyrmizakis, Dionysios E, Karatzanis, Alexandros D, Liolios, Antonios, Papadakis, Chariton E, Benakis, Antonios A, Bizakis, John G, Velegrakis, George A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.02.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; Greece - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Otolaryngology; Tetanus - diagnosis; Tetanus - epidemiology; Tetanus - immunology; Tetanus - therapy; Vaccination; Greece
• ISSN: 1916-0216
• DOI: 10.2310/7070.2008.0009

Tetanus (lockjaw) is a rare disease in developed countries. An otorhinolaryngologist can be the first physician to see a patient with tetanus. In our department, we have seen 10 such cases presenting with head and neck symptoms. We report 2 of these cases followed by an investigation of the immune status of the adult Cretan population against tetanus using 200 random patients who visited our clinic. A negative history of complete childhood immunization was recorded in 37% of individuals. Of the male population, 88.5% had received active immunization during adulthood, although 47% had received all three doses. Only 12.6% of the females had received full-dose immunization during adulthood. Overall, only 8.5% of the studied population had received either complete immunization or a scheduled booster dose during the last decade. In many cases, an otorhinolaryngologist can be the first physician to examine a patient with tetanus. The incidence of the disease in Crete, Greece, is significantly higher than in most parts of developed countries.