Effect of a Single Tetanus Toxoid in Korean Adults with Low Tetanus Antibody Titers

Yoon,  Yoo Sang; No,  Hyun Woong; Kim,  Seung Ho; Chang,  Wen Joen; Shim,  Ho Shik

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 16(5); 2005 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2005;16(5): 555-561.

Effect of a Single Tetanus Toxoid in Korean Adults with Low Tetanus Antibody Titers

Yoo Sang Yoon, Hyun Woong No, Seung Ho Kim, Wen Joen Chang, Ho Shik Shim

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hsshim@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Sung Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:
The determination of tetanus prophylaxis according to patients' memories of past immunization is inaccurate. However, by using the Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test, it is possible to select Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers and to perform tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department. In 1996, Ha reported that tetanus toxoid injection into healthy Korean adults revealed significant differences between the tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and the tetanus antibody titers after 1 week. Our purpose is to determine the effect of a single tetanus toxoid in Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers.
METHODS:
Blood samples were taken from 44 volunteers for a period of 6 weeks. All samples were analyzed using the Tetanus IgG ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method.
RESULTS:
The results for tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and after 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks were 0.04+/-0.05 IU/mL, 1.22+/-3.63 IU/mL, 4.99+/-7.3 6 IU/mL, 8.36+/-11.10 IU/mL and 6.59+/-9.21 IU/mL respectively. There was a statistically significant defference between the tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and the tetanus antibody titers after 2 weeks. There was no statistically significant defference between the tetanus antibody titers after 2 weeks and 6 weeks. After 4 weeks, all subjects' tetanus antibody titers were at the protective level.
CONCLUSIONS:
A single tetanus toxoid injection is effective in Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers.

Key words: Tetanus, Tetanus toxoid, Immunization