All issues > Volume 31(8); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(8):992-998. Published online August 31, 1988.

A Clinical Ovservation of Tetanus Neonatorum.

Gyeong Hye Jung¹, Hyo Sin Kim¹, Ock Seung jeong¹, Son Sang Seo¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Il Sin Christian Hospital, Pusan, Korea

Received: November 10, 1987;  Accepted: February 22, 1988.

Abstract

A clinical study in 75 cases who were hospitalized and diagnosed as neonatal tetanus at II Sin Christian Hospital during the last 10 years (1976-1985) is reported. The results were as follows; 1) The mean annual incidence was 0.29% and the overall mortality rate was 29.4%. 2) Sex ratio of male to female was 1.6:1. 3) Home delivery without sanitory facilities was the most common problem (86.5%). 4) Most of umbilical cord was cut by unsterilized scissors (73.3%). 5) The most common symptom on admission was poor sucking (96%). Besides this trismus, convulsion and fever etcs. was noted commonly. 6) Most of patients was admitted within 2 days, the shorter this period was, the highr mortality was. 7) The mean age of onset was 5.41 days. The earlier the onset was, the worse the prognosis was 8) Hypothemia (below 36V) and hyperpyrexia (above 38*C) were significantly correlated with prognosis. 9) The weight of patients was not significantly correlated with prognosis. 10) The patients whose WBC counts on peripheral blood were below 5,000/mm3 and above 25,000/ mm3 had high mortality. 11) Dosage of antitoxin was not significantly correlated with mortality rate.

Keywords :Tetanaus, Neonate