Generalized Tetanus in a Canadian Farmer Following Orthopedic Surgery

Utkarsh Chauhan; Anukul Ghimire; Milan Raval; Curtiss Boyington; Adrienne Haponiuk; Gregory Koller; Jeffrey Korzan; Elaine Yacyshyn

doi:10.3390/idr14020033

Generalized Tetanus in a Canadian Farmer Following Orthopedic Surgery

Infect Dis Rep. 2022 Apr 13;14(2):273-277. doi: 10.3390/idr14020033.

Authors

Utkarsh Chauhan¹, Anukul Ghimire², Milan Raval³, Curtiss Boyington⁴, Adrienne Haponiuk⁵, Gregory Koller⁶, Jeffrey Korzan⁷, Elaine Yacyshyn⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada.
² Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Red Deer Regional Hospital, Red Deer, AB T4N 4E7, Canada.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
⁷ Department of Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada.

Abstract

Tetanus is extremely rare in developed countries. We report the first documented case of tetanus in the province of Alberta since 2016: a farmer that developed trismus, shoulder stiffness, and fevers eight days following orthopedic surgery. Tetanus immunoglobulin elicited rapid recovery. We highlight risk factors, pathogenesis, epidemiology, and diagnostic challenges.

Keywords: Clostridium tetani; immunoglobulin; risk factors; tetanus; trismus; vaccination.

Publication types

Case Reports