FAQ
What are the symptoms of tetanus?
Page last updated 10 July 2018
Early signs of tetanus include:
- muscle spasms or tightness that begin in the jaw and neck
- inability to open the mouth (lockjaw) swallowing problems
- breathing difficulties
- painful convulsions (fits)
- abnormal heart rhythms.
Occasionally a person may present with a fever and sometimes develop abnormal heart rhythms. Further complications include:
- pneumonia (infection of the lungs)
- broken bones from the muscle spasms
- respiratory failure
- cardiac arrest.
Sources & Citations
- Victoria State Government. Better Health Channel. Tetanus. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/tetanus (accessed 15 April 2018).
- New South Wales Government Health. Questions and answers about changes to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/tetanus.aspx (accessed 15 April 2018).
SPANZ.SAPAS.18.04.0137a - Date of preparation May 2018
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