Hanoi tetanus cases triple, two deaths recorded
VOV.VN - The capital of Hanoi has seen 18 patients suffer from tetanus since the beginning of the year, marking an increase of three times compared to the same period last year, with two deaths documented.
According to the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC), from August 11 to 18, three more people diagnosed with tetanus were hospitalised.
Among the hospitalisations, a man, 65, from Ba Vi district, had hit a hard concrete edge in a muddy field and injured the sole of his right foot. He then washed himself and took antibiotics, but did not receive a tetanus shot.
Several days later he was suffering from symptoms such as jaw cramping and trouble swallowing. He was then admitted to Military Hospital 105 and subsequently diagnosed with tetanus. He was transported to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases for treatment.
Doctors say many people remain unaware of the importance of having a tetanus vaccine after suffering a puncture wound, especially after stepping on rusty metals.
Many patients who suffer such wounds fail to go to medical facilities for treatment and often use herbs which can lead to severe infection and tetanus bacteria entering the body.
Health experts warn that tetanus is a life threatening disease, especially among patients with other illnesses, such as myocardial ischemia which occurs when blood flow to heart is reduced, thereby preventing it from receiving enough oxygen.
