Clostridium tetani is the bacteria that cause tetanus, or severe spasms of the jaw, neck, chest, abdomen and back. According to Medline Plus of the National Institutes of Health, Clostridium tetani spores live in the soil and are found around the world. Infection occurs when spores enter the body through an injury or wound. Spores then release bacteria that make a toxin that blocks nerve signals from the spinal cord to the muscles. Most cases occur in unvaccinated people. A patient with tetanus should seek immediate medical treatment.
Antitoxin
According to MayoClinic.com, a doctor may give a patient with tetanus an antitoxin that can prevent progression of the infection. Specifically, the doctor will prescribe the tetanus immune globulin, which combines with toxin that has not reached nerve tissue and prevents further signal blocking in the nervous system. A patient will not experience a side effect from the injection, but may experience a local or systemic reaction. While anaphylactic reactions are rare, the patient may experience pain, tenderness and muscle stiffness around the injection site. In this case, he should let his doctor know if symptoms do not resolve.
Antibiotics
MayoClinic.com states that a patient with active Clostridium tetani may need antibiotics, which are given orally or by injection. A patient should continue the full course of antibiotics even if symptoms improve. Failure to complete the entire course of antibiotics can result in an antibiotic-resistant strain of Clostridium tetani, which would be harder to successfully treat.
Paralyzing Drugs
Clostridium tetani causes severe spasticity in patients. It causes muscle to fully contract, which can make moving, breathing and swallowing difficult or impossible. Thus, a doctor may prescribe drugs that cause temporary paralysis in the body. After given these drugs, a patient may need to be placed on a breathing machine, or ventilator, because muscles that control bleeding will also be paralyzed. MayoClinic.com states that most patients who have had tetanus often recover completely if they're properly treated. After treatment, a patient should be sure to receive a tetanus vaccine to prevent a future tetanus infection.
