Suspected tetanus in an unvaccinated pediatric patient

Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable neuromuscular disease with a high mortality rate. The incidence of tetanus in developed countries has significantly declined due to preventive vaccination measures, but the potential for long-term complications and mortality from this disease remains high in the unvaccinated population. There are only a few individual case reports of tetanus in the pediatric population in the United States. We present a case of suspected tetanus in a 10-year-old unvaccinated child in Central Texas who sustained multiple cardiovascular and pulmonary complications during a 1-month hospitalization course. This case highlights the importance of pediatric immunization for prevention of this potentially fatal disease process and its long-term complications. Physicians should maintain a high clinical suspicion for tetanus infection in unvaccinated children to prevent delay in necessary treatment.