Question
A 3-year-old boy needs to be vaccinated against tetanus after a fall, and the inquiry is whether the appropriate dose is 500 units or 1500 units, and if a skin test is necessary.
Answer
Tetanus is a specific infection caused by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium commonly found in soil and animal excrement. The bacterium and its toxins cannot Intrusion normal skin and mucous membranes, so infection typically occurs only after an injury. For wound treatment, tetanus antitoxin can be considered. Typically, the initial dose is given at 20,000 to 50,000 units, mixed with 500 to 1000 milliliters of 5% glucose solution for slow intravenous infusion; for patients with uncleaned wounds or severe conditions, an additional 10,000 to 20,000 units can be administered daily by muscle injection or intravenous infusion for 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, tetanus immunoglobulin can also be considered, with a dose of 3000 to 6000 units, administered just once.