What does Tetanus mean?

Definitions for Tetanus
ˈtɛt n əstetanus

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Tetanus.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. tetanus, lockjawnoun

    an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages

  2. tetanusnoun

    a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses

Wiktionary

  1. tetanusnoun

    A serious and often fatal disease caused by the infection of an open wound with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani, found in soil and the intestines and faeces of animals.

  2. tetanusnoun

    A state of muscle tension caused by sustained contraction arising from a rapid series of nerve impulses which do not allow the muscle to relax.

  3. Etymology: From tetanus, from τέτανος.

Wikipedia

  1. Tetanus

    Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by Clostridium tetani, and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually lasts a few minutes. Spasms occur frequently for three to four weeks. Some spasms may be severe enough to fracture bones. Other symptoms of tetanus may include fever, sweating, headache, trouble swallowing, high blood pressure, and a fast heart rate. Onset of symptoms is typically three to twenty-one days following infection. Recovery may take months. About ten percent of cases prove to be fatal.C. tetani is commonly found in soil, saliva, dust, and manure. The bacteria generally enter through a break in the skin such as a cut or puncture wound by a contaminated object. They produce toxins that interfere with normal muscle contractions. Diagnosis is based on the presenting signs and symptoms. The disease does not spread between people.Tetanus can be prevented by immunization with the tetanus vaccine. In those who have a significant wound and have had fewer than three doses of the vaccine, both vaccination and tetanus immune globulin are recommended. The wound should be cleaned and any dead tissue should be removed. In those who are infected, tetanus immune globulin or, if unavailable, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used. Muscle relaxants may be used to control spasms. Mechanical ventilation may be required if a person's breathing is affected.Tetanus occurs in all parts of the world but is most frequent in hot and wet climates where the soil has a high organic content. In 2015 there were about 209,000 infections and about 59,000 deaths globally. This is down from 356,000 deaths in 1990. In the US there are about 30 cases per year, almost all of which have not been vaccinated. An early description of the disease was made by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. The cause of the disease was determined in 1884 by Antonio Carle and Giorgio Rattone at the University of Turin, and a vaccine was developed in 1924.

ChatGPT

  1. tetanus

    Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that affects the nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, specifically the jaw and neck muscles. It is caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani, which are usually found in soil, dust, and animal feces. The bacteria can enter the body through a deep cut or puncture wound. Tetanus is preventable through vaccination, but can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Tetanusnoun

    a painful and usually fatal disease, resulting generally from a wound, and having as its principal symptom persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called locked-jaw, or lickjaw, and it takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm

  2. Tetanusnoun

    that condition of a muscle in which it is in a state of continued vibratory contraction, as when stimulated by a series of induction shocks

Wikidata

  1. Tetanus

    Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. Infection generally occurs through wound contamination and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound. As the infection progresses, muscle spasms develop in the jaw and elsewhere in the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization and by post-exposure prophylaxis.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Tetanus

    tet′a-nus, n. an involuntary, persistent, intense, and painful contraction or cramp of more or less extensive groups of the voluntary muscles: lockjaw: the state of prolonged contraction of a muscle under stimuli repeated quickly.—adjs. Tetan′ic; Tet′aniform; Tetanig′enous.—n. Tetanisā′tion.—v.t. Tet′anise.—adj. Tet′anoid.—n. Tet′any, a rare and little understood disease of the nervous system, occurring both in children and adults, characterised by recurring attacks of tonic spasm of various muscles, particularly those of the fingers and toes, associated with defective hygienic conditions, imperfect ventilation, poor diet, and in children with rickets. [L.,—Gr.,—tetanos, stretched—teinein, to stretch.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Tetanus

    or Lock-Jaw, a nervous affection of a most painful and fatal character, which usually begins with intensely painful and persistent cramp of the muscles of the throat and jaws, spreading down to the larger muscles of the body. As the disease progresses the muscles become more and more rigid, while the paroxysms of pain increase in violence and frequency. Death as a rule results from either sheer exhaustion or failure of breath through the spasmodic closure of the glottis. The cause of the disease is now ascertained to be due to the action of a microbe, which may find an entrance through any wound or abrasion of the skin, not necessarily of the thumb as is the popular belief.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Tetanus

    A disease caused by tetanospasmin, a powerful protein toxin produced by CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI. Tetanus usually occurs after an acute injury, such as a puncture wound or laceration. Generalized tetanus, the most common form, is characterized by tetanic muscular contractions and hyperreflexia. Localized tetanus presents itself as a mild condition with manifestations restricted to muscles near the wound. It may progress to the generalized form.

Matched Categories

Anagrams for Tetanus »

  1. tautens

  2. attunes

  3. unstate

  4. untaste

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Tetanus in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Tetanus in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Tetanus in a Sentence

  1. Tina Cheng:

    We'd had incredible success, a lot of residents-in-training have never seen tetanus, influenza or polio. But there are always new and emerging diseases, and even some of the vaccines we have need to be better.

  2. British Prime Minister David Cameron:

    In too many cases antibiotics have stopped working. That means people are dying of simple infections or conditions like TB (tuberculosis), tetanus, sepsis, infections that should not mean a death sentence, if we do nothing about this there will be a cumulative hit to the world economy of $100 trillion and it is potentially the end of modern medicine as we know it.

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"Tetanus." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Tetanus>.

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