Isono Hiroki, Miyagami Taiju, Katayama Kohta, Isono Momoko, Hasegawa Ryuichi, Gomi Harumi, Kobayashi Hiroyuki
Department of Primary Care and Medical Education, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Intern Med. 2016;55(22):3399-3402. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.7131. Epub 2016 Nov 15.
Tetanus is a potentially fatal infection. Approximately 100 cases are reported in Japan each year; however, little is known about its clinical course and outcomes in the current era of treatment. We herein report three cases of tetanus in elderly patients who survived after mechanical ventilation and intensive care. These patients, together with six other similar cases, had a median weaning period of 31 days and median length of stay of 77 days. In elderly patients, severe systemic forms of tetanus require prolonged mechanical ventilation and hospitalization. To improve prevention, tetanus vaccination should be promoted more aggressively among those who are susceptible to the disease.
破伤风是一种潜在的致命感染。日本每年报告约100例病例；然而，在当前治疗时代，对其临床病程和结局知之甚少。我们在此报告三例老年破伤风患者，他们在机械通气和重症监护后存活。这些患者与其他六例类似病例一起，中位脱机时间为31天，中位住院时间为77天。在老年患者中，严重的全身性破伤风形式需要长时间的机械通气和住院治疗。为了加强预防，应在易患该病的人群中更积极地推广破伤风疫苗接种。
