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Is Tetanus Booster Vaccine Mandatory Post Tetanus Vaccination?
Question: My mother ,, who has enjoyed very good health to this point, had a tetanus shot after a severe burn.....she did not get the booster shot. Now she appears to have complications from not having received the booster shot. She is now seriously ill with tremors, problem with vocal cords, lack of muscular strength and severe diarrhea. If a booster shot is given now, three weeks later than it should have been, will it still be effective? She is in hospital in the Emergency Ward.. She is unable to eat but is fully coherent
Brief Answer:
Diarrhea and severe burn have caused severe dehydration as following...
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
I have gone through the medical history of your mother and understood your concerns.
I am really sorry to hear about her medical problems.
Now, she has suffered of severe burn. This is often associated with loss of electrolytes and dehydration which are explaining her lack of muscular strength.
She was given a tetanus shot, that's good in preventing tetanus infection. This vaccine booster is recommended in patients who did not have any tetanus vaccine within the last 5 years. Do not worry for the other booster that was not given to her; the first one was enough to protect her from tetanus infection as she suffered a severe burn.
Now, what she is experiencing tremor, lack of muscle strength and severe diarrhea are due to dehydration. Both severe burn and diarrhea has caused her loss of fluids and electrolytes that is clinically expressed with the symptoms she is suffering now.
It is crucial to treat her diarrhea and replace the lost fluids and she will be fine again.
If diarrhea started after meds that were given when she had severe burn, then, a culture of stool is recommended to rule out C.diff or candida overgrowth due to alteration in intestinal flora.
Please provide any lab test she has done so far to analyze them and understand her situation further.
Thank you.
Dr.Albana
Diarrhea and severe burn have caused severe dehydration as following...
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
I have gone through the medical history of your mother and understood your concerns.
I am really sorry to hear about her medical problems.
Now, she has suffered of severe burn. This is often associated with loss of electrolytes and dehydration which are explaining her lack of muscular strength.
She was given a tetanus shot, that's good in preventing tetanus infection. This vaccine booster is recommended in patients who did not have any tetanus vaccine within the last 5 years. Do not worry for the other booster that was not given to her; the first one was enough to protect her from tetanus infection as she suffered a severe burn.
Now, what she is experiencing tremor, lack of muscle strength and severe diarrhea are due to dehydration. Both severe burn and diarrhea has caused her loss of fluids and electrolytes that is clinically expressed with the symptoms she is suffering now.
It is crucial to treat her diarrhea and replace the lost fluids and she will be fine again.
If diarrhea started after meds that were given when she had severe burn, then, a culture of stool is recommended to rule out C.diff or candida overgrowth due to alteration in intestinal flora.
Please provide any lab test she has done so far to analyze them and understand her situation further.
Thank you.
Dr.Albana
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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