Abstract
Tetanus is still a difficult-to-treat disease with high morbidity and mortality. Although it most commonly occurs in non-immunized children, it can also be seen in partially immunized or immunized children. We report herein two pediatric cases of generalized tetanus. Case 1 presented with signs of acute abdomen, while Case 2 presented with the typical clinical findings of tetanus. In this report, we highlight the importance of obtaining a history of the vaccination status of pediatric patients as an essential part of the evaluation. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis of non-immunized children with abdominal rigidity should include generalized tetanus.
Copyright and license
Copyright © 2011 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.