Brief Communication: Tetanus in a rural hospital in Northeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Tetanus is still a frequent cause of mortality in rural Ethiopia despite the availability of an effective vaccine. An analysis of the medical records of 60 cases of tetanus admitted to Woldiya Hospital (1996-2002) indicated a case fatality rate of 36.7%. Over half of the deaths occurred within 3 days of hospitalization. Hospital documentation was poor. No patient received vaccine on discharge. Hospitalization and antenatal visits should be exploited for vaccination purposes.