[Current possibilities of optimizing emergency tetanus immunization]

Retrospective analysis of the tetanus cases, admitted over a six year period, shows the high risks involved by the insufficient immunoprotection. The failure of emergency immunization, with its effects on the incidence and evolution of the disease, may be accounted for by : the difficulty in establishing the vaccination past history, probable decrease of protection with time due to basal immunization, inconstant response to the booster dose, immunodepressive side effects, the drawbacks of antitoxic serum. With reference to their own experience and the published data concerning the methods applied for obtaining a more rapid response to anatoxin and possible optimizing of the protective titre concurrent with the incubation period of tetanus. Experimental investigations have demonstrated the superiority of repeated, multifocal inoculations for obtaining an earlier antitoxic immunity.