Where There Is No Doctor 2011 183
Signs of tetanus:
• An infected wound (sometimes no wound can be found).
• Discomfort and difficulty in swallowing.
• The jaw gets stiff (lockjaw), then the muscles of the neck and other parts
of the body get stiff. The person has difficulty walking normally.
• Painful convulsions (sudden tightening) of the jaw and finally of the whole
body. Moving or touching the person may trigger sudden spasms like this:
Sudden noise or
bright light may
also bring on these
spasms.
In the newborn, the first signs of tetanus generally appear 3 to 10 days after
birth. The child begins to cry continuously and is unable to suck. Often the
umbilical area is dirty or infected. After several hours or days, lockjaw and the other
signs of tetanus begin.
It is very important to start treating tetanus at the first sign. If you suspect tetanus
(or if a newborn child cries continuously or stops nursing), make this test:
TEST OF KNEE REFLEXES
With the leg hanging freely,
tap the knee with a knuckle
just below the kneecap.
If the leg jumps
just a little bit, the
reaction is normal.
If the leg jumps high, this indicates a
serious illness like tetanus (or perhaps
meningitis or poisoning with certain
medicines or rat poison).
This test is especially useful when you suspect tetanus in a newborn baby.
What to do when there are signs of tetanus:
Tetanus is a deadly disease. Seek medical help at the first sign. If there is any
delay in getting help, do the following things:
♦ Examine the whole body for infected wounds or sores. Often the wound will
contain pus. Open the wound and wash it with soap and cool, boiled water;
completely remove all dirt, pus, thorns, splinters, etc.; flood the wound with
hydrogen peroxide if you have any.
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