Tetanus (Clostridium tetani) Lecture Notes

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and characteristics of Clostridium tetani.

Clostridium tetani

An obligate anaerobic, gram-positive bacillus with a terminal round spore, giving it a drum stick appearance.

Tetanus

An acute disease caused by Clostridium tetani, manifested by skeletal muscle spasm and autonomic nervous system disturbance.

Kitasato (1889)

The researcher who first isolated the causative organism of tetanus.

Otogenic tetanus

A form of tetanus where the bacilli enter through the ear, typically associated with otitis media.

Tetanolysin

A hemolysin produced by Clostridium tetani that has no role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Tetanospasmin

The neurotoxin (tetanus toxin) responsible for the manifestations of tetanus; it is plasmid-coded and antigenic.

Toxoid

A form of tetanus toxin created spontaneously or by formaldehyde that loses virulence but remains antigenic, making it suitable for vaccine preparation.

Polysialogangliosides

Receptors present on motor nerve terminals to which the tetanus toxin binds before internalization.

Retrograde transport

The movement technique used by the tetanus toxin to travel from motor nerve terminals to the inhibitory neuron terminals.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Substances such as glycine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) whose presynaptic release is prevented by the tetanus toxin, leading to spastic muscle contraction.

Incubation period

The timeframe between infection and symptom onset, typically $6-10$ days; a shorter period indicates a graver prognosis.

Trismus

Commonly known as lockjaw, it is the first symptom of tetanus caused by an increase in masseter tone.

Risus sardonicus

A complication of tetanus characterized by an abnormal sustained spasm of the facial muscles that produces a grinning appearance.

Autonomic disturbance

A set of symptoms maximal during the second week of severe tetanus, including tachycardia, hypertension or hypotension, sweating, and intestinal stasis.