The role of physiotherapy in recovery from generalized tetanus: two case reports

Abstract

Abstract Background A toxin produced by Clostridium tetani causes an acute illness called tetanus. Although there are still isolated incidences of the disease in emerging nations with social and economic squalor, the number of cases has dropped as a result of vaccination. This case report intends to describe the physical therapy treatments given to two patients at the Federal Medical Center in Abeokuta who were diagnosed with generalized tetanus. Case presentations A 14-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were admitted to the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta (FMCA) with symptoms of tetanus including an inability to open their mouths and muscle stiffness, and they were treated by pediatric physiotherapists with a combination of soft tissue massage, passive stretching, and passive movements to improve their muscle function. The patient in case 1 showed improvement in all clinical outcomes, such as muscle spasm, hypertonicity, muscle strength in the upper and lower limbs, and overall functional status, after undergoing therapy for 14 days. Similarly, the patient in case 2 also showed improvement in the same clinical outcomes after undergoing therapy for 8 days. Specifically, both patients showed Oxford muscle grading of 4/5 on both left and right limbs, and case 1 showed a functional independence measure score of 66/126 while case 2 showed a score of 56/126. Conclusions These case reports provide evidence that physical therapy interventions are effective in improving clinical outcomes and functional status in patients with generalized tetanus, and highlight the importance of incorporating physiotherapy in the management of this condition.

Keywords

• Tetanus
• Recovery
• Physical therapy
• Intervention