RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Making an objective diagnosis of tetanus—utility of a simple neurophysiological test
JF BMJ Case Reports
JO BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e232344
DO 10.1136/bcr-2019-232344
VO 12
IS 12
A1 Imtiaz, Hina
A1 Hakeem, Haris
A1 Alam, Anusha
A1 Kanwar, Dureshahwar
YR 2019
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/12/e232344.abstract
AB Tetanus remains a significant cause of mortality especially in the developing world. Early diagnosis and institution of treatment is critical to prevent fatal complications. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds, which may sometimes be difficult, especially in case of localised tetanus. Being able to diagnose tetanus objectively is invaluable in such cases. In this regard, masseter inhibitory reflex (MIR) is a simple neurophysiological test that can be performed at the bedside. Herein, we report a case of craniocervical tetanus that was objectively diagnosed using MIR and adequately treated.