Abstract
Records of 349 tetanus patients, aged 10 years and above, admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between 1990 and 1999 were reviewed. The male:female ratio was 1.98:1, and the ages were between 10 and 88 years, with a mean age of 29.8 years.
The overall case fatality rate (CFR) of tetanus was 36.96% (33.19% for men and 44.44% for women). The CFR is similar to that previously reported in the hospital, but higher than that reported from Europe and North America. The lowest CFR was in the 10-19-year age group, and there was a trend towards increasing CFR with increasing age.
Tetanus patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) had a significantly higher CFR than those in the medical wards.
Unlike in developed countries, where management of tetanus in ICU has resulted in a decrease in CFR, the CFR of tetanus at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has not significantly reduced over the years.
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