All issues > Volume 28(1); 1985

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1985;28(1):25-32. Published online January 31, 1985.

The Effect of Antitoxin in Neonatal Tetanus.

Myung Dong Ahn, Tae Joo Whang, Chull Sohn

¹Faculty of Medical Science Chonnam University Graduate School

Abstract

Mortality rate of Neonatal tetanus was assessed in 198 casss out of 219 patients during 10 years(1970~1979) according to the amounts of administered antitoxin dosages in a prospective and randomized trial. Mortality rate of Neonatal tetanus administered antitoxin 10,000 I.U. averaged 64.2%, whereas that of Neonatal tetanus administered antitoxin 20,000, 40,000, 60,000 and 100,000 I.U. averaged 60.9%, 78.0 c, 57.1% and! 59.5%, respectively. However, no statistical differences in mortality rate among the dosage groups were observed. This demonstration of no differences in mortality rate to the various amounts of antitoxin dosages does not seem to support the usage of large dose of antitoxin for routine treatment of Neonatal tetanus.

Keywords :Neonatal tetanus;Antitoxin;Mortality rate.