Treatment of severe tetanus with mechanical ventilation in developing country

Rusepno Hassan; Azwir Zaenal

doi:10.14238/pi21.11-12.1981.221-8

Rusepno Hassan Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia Medical School, Jakarta
Azwir Zaenal Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia Medical School, Jakarta

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14238/pi21.11-12.1981.221-8

Keywords: tetanus, mechanical ventilation, mortality, sodium thiopental

Abstract

Mortality of tetanus is high, particularly in severe cases managed without the aid of mechanical ventiilation.

During 1950. six cases of severe tetanus were treated in the Pediatric ICU, Dr. Ciplo Mangunkusumo General Hospital Jakarta, due to recurrent apnoeic attacks.

Sodium thiopental (Pentothal) were used as sedative agent for mechanical ventilation, and as muscle relaxant.

Three children survived and 3 died while an IPPV from extensive bronchopneumonia (2 cases) and septicemia due to pseudomonas infection. The other complication was vertebral fracture. None of the hemodynamic and respiratory variables was caused by sodium thiopental.

There were no direct complications of mechanical ventilation i.e. pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum.

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