An evaluation of diphtheria--tetanus (adult) vaccine in unselected human volunteers

Clinician awareness of tetanus-diphtheria vaccination in trauma patients: a questionnaire study

Background

Most trauma patients visit the hospital via the emergency department. They are at high risk for tetanus infection because many trauma patients are wounded. Tetanus immunity in the Korean population has been revealed to be decreased in age groups over 20 years old. It is important for emergency physicians to vaccinate patients with the tetanus booster in wound management.

Methods

Questionnaires were sent to the directors of the emergency departments of resident training hospitals certified by the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine.

Results

Two thirds of the emergency department directors surveyed reported applying tetanus prophylaxis guidelines to more than 80% of wounded patients. However, about 45% of clinicians in the emergency departments considered giving less than half of the wounded patient tetanus booster vaccinations, and there were no distinct differences in tetanus booster vaccination rates among different age groups. Most emergency physicians are familiar with tetanus prophylaxis guidelines for wound management. However, more than half of the emergency department directors reported that the major reason for not considering tetanus-diphtheria vaccination was due to assumptions that patients already had tetanus immunity.

Conclusion

Attitude changes should be encouraged among emergency physicians regarding tetanus prophylaxis. As emergency physicians are frequently confronted with patients that are at a high risk for tetanus infection in emergency situations, they need to be more informed regarding tetanus immunity epidemiology and encouraged to administer tetanus booster vaccines.

Evaluation of the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of a new, pasteurized, human tetanus immunoglobulin administered as sham, postexposure prophylaxis of tetanus

In a monocentric, double-blind, randomized trial, we examined the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of a new, pasteurized, human tetanus immunoglobulin (P-HTIG). As part of the purification process, P-HTIG has undergone a heat treatment step (10 h at 60 degrees C) and the removal of Merthiolate. Forty-eight adults with a history of tetanus vaccination were randomized into four groups (n = 12 per group) to receive one of two different batches of this P-HTIG simultaneously with either tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine (sham, postexposure prophylaxis of tetanus) or placebo. Local reactions at the injection site were followed for the first 3 days after injection, and systemic reactions were followed during the entire study period, i.e., up to 42 days posttreatment. Blood samples for tetanus antibody titer determination (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method) were drawn prior to treatment on day 0 and on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. A normalization of tetanus antibody titers (subtraction of the day 0 value for each subject at each time period) was performed to assess the additive effect of P-HTIG on tetanus antibody titers. The pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by both a compartmental analysis (modelization) and a noncompartmental analysis. No severe adverse reactions were reported. The rate of local reactions at the P-HTIG injection site was 27%. All local reactions were mild and resolved within 2 days. In contrast, local reactions at the vaccine injection site were seen in 79% of the subjects. The rate of systemic reactions was similar in the P-HTIG plus Td vaccine group (33%) and in the P-HTIG plus placebo group (21%), and all these reactions were mild. In the P-HTIG plus placebo group, tetanus antibody titers rose to a maximum of 0.313+/-2.49 IU/ml after 4.4 days; in the P-HTIG plus Td vaccine group, a maximum concentration of 15.2+/-2.42 IU/ml was reached 19 days postinjection. In both groups, 100% of the patients had seroprotective levels of tetanus antibodies (> or = 0.01 IU/ml) 2 days following treatment. An anamnestic response to Td vaccine appeared 7 days postimmunization. In conclusion, P-HTIG has a good safety and pharmacokinetic profile. Our results confirm that immunoglobulin should be associated with vaccine in the treatment of tetanus-prone wounds.