79 serum samples of tetanus patients admitted to The Institute for research on Clinical Medicine and Tropical Diseases from November 1996 to May 1997 were analysed by technique of inoculation in mice. The results showed that: 1) Free circulating tetanus toxin was detected in 19% of cases with 5.1% of cases with 5.1% of cases of low toxin concentration and 13.9% of cases of high toxin concentration. All them are negative after 5 days of ATS injection (Anti Tetanus Serum) with 6000-9000 IU (M.I). 2) The presence of free circulating tetanus toxin in the blood was not related to infectious condition of the wound (P>0.05). 3) Mortality in the group with positive free tetanus toxin (60%) are higher significantly (p<0.01) than the negative one (20.3%). So, free circulating tetanus toxin in the blood had a severe prognostic value in tetanus patients. 4) Using ATS was necessary for the treatment of tetanus patients. 5) Serum antitoxin concentration in most of tetanus patients (90%) was lower than the 'protective level' (<0.01IU/ml).
Tetanus ; Bood

79 sera of tetanus patients (Institute for Clinical Research in Tropical Diseases 1966, 1967, 1996 to 1997 were investigated for circulating toxin, using the mouse inoculation technique). Results: free circulating tetanus toxin was detected in 19,0% cases, among them 5,1% had low toxic concentration and 13,9% had high toxic concentration. The presence of free circulating tetanus toxin in the blood was not related to the infectious condition of the wound at admission. The mortality in the group with positive free circulating tetanus toxic was higher 60% than this in the negative one. So the presence of free circulating tetanus toxin in the blood had a prognostic value in tetanus patients. The use of tetanus antitoxin was necessary in the treatment of tetanus patients to neutralize free circulating tetanus toxin.
Tetanus ; Bood