Condition

Tetanus

Clinical trials and treatment information for Tetanus

37K
People Affected
50
Active Trials
200K
New Cases/Year
21K
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine (e.g., Tdap, Td)
99% Effectiveness• 99% Confidence• 90% Safety• 1000 trials• 1M participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 0.5 mL intramuscular
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
90
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Weeks to months (after initial series), immediate (booster effect if previously vaccinated)

Duration

Initial series, then boosters every 10 years or with injury

Response Rate

99%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

1000000

Common Side Effects:

Local pain/swelling: 30%
Fever: 5%
Headache: 3%
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis): 0.0001%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$1.5

Monitoring

$600

Side Effects

$0.1

Total Annual

$601.6

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.08

ICER

$3,000/QALY

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+99%
Response Rate
+99%
Common Side Effects
Local pain/swelling
+30%
Fever
+5%
Headache
+3%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
2
Surgical Debridement
92% Effectiveness• 98% Confidence• 60% Safety• 10 trials• 1K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent Value
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
60
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate (removal of bacterial source)

Duration

Single procedure

Response Rate

99%

Remission Rate

%

Common Side Effects:

Pain: 30%
Infection at surgical site: 5%
Bleeding: 2%
Anesthesia risks: 1%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$2,000

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$2,200

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

18

Cost per Responder

$2,222

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+92%
Response Rate
+99%
Common Side Effects
Pain
+30%
Infection at surgical site
+5%
Bleeding
+2%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
3
Tetanus Immune Globulin (TIG)
90% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 75% Safety• 8 trials• 5K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 3000-6000 IU IM or IV, depending on severity and formulation
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
75
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate (neutralizes unbound toxin)

Duration

Single dose (sometimes repeated)

Response Rate

85%

Remission Rate

70%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

200

Common Side Effects:

Local pain/tenderness at injection site: 15%
Fever: 5%
Allergic reactions (rash, itching): 1%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$1,500

Monitoring

$50

Side Effects

$20

Total Annual

$1,570

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

15

Cost per Remission

$2,243

Cost per Responder

$1,847

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Duration of Severe Muscle Spasms14 days
-40% (-5.6 days)
Duration of Mechanical Ventilation12 days
-40% (-4.8 days)
Length of Intensive Care Unit Stay28 days
-35% (-9.8 days)
Mortality Rate30% (in severe cases)
-50% (-15 percentage points)
Secondary Benefits
Total Hospital Length of Stay42 days
-25% (-10.5 days)
Incidence of Major Tetanus Complications50% of severe cases
-40% (-20 percentage points)
Functional Status at Hospital Discharge (Modified Rankin Scale)mRS score: 4/6 (severe disability)
-30% (-1.2 points)
Common Side Effects
Local pain/tenderness at injection site
+15%
Fever
+5%
Allergic reactions (rash, itching)
+1%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
4
Metronidazole
88% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 70% Safety• 1 trials• 10K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 500mg IV every 6-8 hours or 500mg orally twice daily
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
70
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 days (to inhibit bacterial growth)

Duration

7-14 days

Response Rate

95%

Remission Rate

80%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

5

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

50

Common Side Effects:

Nausea: 10%
Diarrhea: 8%
Metallic taste: 5%
Headache: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$50

Monitoring

$10

Side Effects

$5

Total Annual

$65

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

12

Cost per Remission

$81

Cost per Responder

$68

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Mortality Rate (severe tetanus)25% (in patients receiving supportive care without optimal source control)
-20% (-5 percentage points)
Duration of Mechanical Ventilation18 days (in severe tetanus requiring ventilation)
-10% (-1.8 days)
Duration of Hospital Stay30 days (for moderate to severe tetanus)
-8% (-2.4 days)
Tetanus Severity (Phillips Score)Score of 5/7 (severe tetanus at presentation, prior to full therapeutic effect)
-20% (-1 point)
Secondary Benefits
Need for Tracheostomy20% (incidence in severe tetanus requiring ventilation)
-15% (-3 percentage points)
Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP)30% (in mechanically ventilated tetanus patients)
-10% (-3 percentage points)
Functional Outcome (Modified Rankin Scale at 3 months)mRS score of 3/6 (moderate disability in survivors of severe tetanus)
-7% (-0.21 points)
Common Side Effects
Nausea
+10%
Diarrhea
+8%
Metallic taste
+5%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
5
Benzodiazepines (e.g., Diazepam, Midazolam)
85% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 45% Safety• 100 trials• 10K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Variable, titrated to effect; e.g., Diazepam 5-20mg IV every 2-4 hours or continuous infusion
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
45
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate (IV administration)

Duration

Days to weeks (titrated to symptoms)

Response Rate

90%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

2

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

5

Common Side Effects:

Sedation: 40%
Respiratory depression: 20%
Hypotension: 10%
Dependence (with prolonged use): 5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$100

Monitoring

$5,000

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$5,300

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

10

Cost per Responder

$5,889

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+85%
Response Rate
+90%
Common Side Effects
Sedation
+40%
Respiratory depression
+20%
Hypotension
+10%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
6
Magnesium Sulfate
80% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 55% Safety• 20 trials• 2K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Loading dose (e.g., 4-5g IV) followed by continuous infusion (e.g., 2g/hour), titrated to effect and serum levels
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
55
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Minutes to hours (after initiation of infusion)

Duration

Days to weeks (continuous infusion)

Response Rate

75%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

8

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

10

Common Side Effects:

Hypotension: 25%
Respiratory depression: 15%
Bradycardia: 10%
Flushing: 5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$30

Monitoring

$5,000

Side Effects

$300

Total Annual

$5,330

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

8

Cost per Responder

$7,107

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+80%
Response Rate
+75%
Common Side Effects
Hypotension
+25%
Respiratory depression
+15%
Bradycardia
+10%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4