Tetanus is a disease with a high mortality rate. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary for a good outcome. We report a case of tetanus.
A 68-year-old woman, a farmer, was referred to our hospital because of limited mouth opening. Clinical examinations showed severe trismus with a maximum mouth opening of 5 mm, stiffness of the masseter and neck muscles, and dysphagia. The patient had no recent history of trauma. She was admitted immediately and given antibiotics. However, muscle stiffness became more serious, and opisthotonus was noted. These finding led to a suspected diagnosis of tetanus.
The patient was given penicillin and antitetanus serum. After 5 days, she was transferred to the department of internal medicine and successfully treated. She discharged on the 37th hospital day, without any complications.
