[Tetanus patients treated at the Infectious Disease Clinic, Medical Academy, in Cracow 1980-1989].

In this period 257 tetanus patients was treated. The majority of them being old age farmers. 44% patients treated in our clinic were over 71 years old. They were not actively immunized against tetanus. The principal percentage of mortality was high (42%), but it was clearly correlated with old age of patients. The co-existed diseases and complications had influence to unprofitable results of treatment. Comparing 3 last tenth anniversary--general number of tetanus patients demonstrated insignificant decrease and an important increase among cases of patients more than 71 years old. Tetanus is still seriously menace to unvaccinated people in Poland.