Tetanus

• Tetanus: aka lockjaw, is an infectious, acute disease that is life-threatening, which is characterized by painful, uncontrollable contraction of skeletal muscle.
• Etiology: Caused by a toxin, produced by the bacillus bacterium which is Clostridium tetani. It is in animal feces which gets mixed into soil. If it enters through an anaerobic wound, it grows, produces a dangerous toxin and travels in the bloodstream. 
• Anaerobic: living without oxygen. 
• Symptoms: jaw muscles are affected first with tetany that prevents the mouth from opening. Other symptoms like a high fever, tachycardia, intense pain and dysphagia can also occur. 
• Tetany: hyperirritability of the muscles causing a spasm-like condition; usually the result of a lack of calcium
• Diagnosis: An involuntary contraction of the muscles in the back of the throat that causes the patient to bite down, is a positive result of a spatula test. 
• Treatment: Cleansing of wounds will help. Receiving an antitoxin to bind and inactivate the tetanus toxin should treat it.
• Prevention: vaccination.