Emergency nurse practitioner management of tetanus status and tetanus-prone wounds

Abstract 

The aim of this paper is to address the management of tetanus-prone wounds and the use of tetanus prophylaxis within the remit of the emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) to ensure safe and effective management of patients who present to the Emergency Department (ED) with tetanus-prone wounds. The paper will also provide the reader with an overview of the epidemiology of tetanus along with the signs and symptoms of tetanus. Practicalities of tetanus vaccine storage and injection will also be discussed. The paper will also discuss Protetanus which is a single step immunoassay for the determination of anti-tetanus immune status; this product has the potential to reduce over immunisation with tetanus and can provide the clinician with a tetanus antibody status in patients who are unaware of their own immunisation status.

Keywords: Tetanus-prone wounds, Tetanus prophylaxis, UK, USA, ENP, Anti-tetanus antibody