The girl has been in a medically induced coma for a month.
A 13-year-old girl was hospitalized with tetanus.
“The girl was sent to our hospital with an acute abdomen and lower back pain. After diagnostics and all the tests, our doctors found out that she had tetanus.
The girl has been in a medically induced coma for a month now, in a stable serious condition. Before that, her condition was extremely serious. The joint efforts of our medical team managed to stabilize him. However, there is still a threat to her life,” the doctors said.
In addition, the patient has massive ascariasis. This is a worm disease caused by the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides (human hookworm). They are also one of the largest parasitic worms, growing up to 25-44 cm in 3 months. The female lays up to 200 thousand eggs daily.
“The girl has a neurological deficit. We will do additional examinations to rule out organic brain damage,” said Vira Pryimakova, head of the Anesthesiology Department.
Tetanus is a disease transmitted by contact with spores of the Clostridium tetani bacteria that live in the soil and intestinal tract of animals. The disease is transmitted by contact, as well as through open wounds in the form of cuts, burns, frostbite, splinters, pressure sores, bites on the skin, and damage to the mucous membranes of humans. Most often, infection occurs as a result of minor household injuries and foot wounds. The disease is not transmitted from person to person.
The child was not vaccinated. So doctors remind us of the importance of tetanus vaccination. This is the only reliable protection against this dangerous disease. Children are vaccinated for the first time as a matter of routine from 2 months of age, then at 4 and 6 months. Revaccination at 6 and 16 years of age. Then the tetanus vaccine is administered every 10 years to the entire adult population.
“Vaccination will help to avoid such a serious, life-threatening disease as tetanus.
Tetanus spores are quite resistant in the environment. As soon as there is minimal damage to the skin, a wound forms – those spores penetrate, release toxins, and affect the nervous system. Dangerous seizures can lead to death,” added Marta Yatsula, Medical Director of the Center for Pediatric Medicine, OKHMATDYT Hospital.
Contacts for making an appointment for a consultation: 067 760 00 31.
Address: 31 Lysenko St., Lviv, Ukraine.