부산대학교 도서관

An 84-year-old woman presented with dysarthria, general malaise, and impaired movement in her right lower limb. She was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cerebral infarction. After admission, she was monitored for symptoms of lockjaw, and a history of injury was noted. Tetanus infection was suspected, and she was transferred to our hospital the following day. She was admitted to the intensive care unit, where she was intubated and first treated with penicillin G intravenously. The following day, treatment was changed to metronidazole, and she recovered without any sequelae. Mortality rates associated with tetanus infection remain high, and in Japan, penicillin G has been used for the treatment of tetanus. However, in other countries, metronidazole is typically used as the firstline treatment for tetanus. This study suggests that metronidazole intravenous infusion instead of penicillin G should be recommended as first-line therapy for the treatment of tetanus.