Why is tt injection taken?

Answer 1

TT injection means Tetanus toxoid injection which is given 0.5 ml intramuscularly to deltoid muscle.It is given to prevent the disease TETANUS caused by bacteria, Clostridium tetani.this bacteria is found in soil, which enters and causes infection through wounds, often trivial.The spores of this bacteria germinate in anaerobic conditions like necrosed tissue in wound and starts producing toxin which causes TETANUS.The disease may onset as early as two days after injury.This disease has very severe course and mortality rates are very high and also very difficult to treat.Hence TT is given immidiatly after injury to prevent bacteria from producing toxin.Along with that wound debridement is also done to remove anaerobic conditions.Immunisation against Tetanus is followed in national immunisation schedule, where it is administered to children free of cost.

TT is given at early months of life,and then at the ages of 5, 10 and 16 years.thereafter booster dose is required to be administered every 5 years.immidiatly after exposure to injury, we have to take one dose of TT if we are previously immunised.if not immunised then we have to take another booster dose after 4 weeks of first dose.this completes one course.Then further we need not take TT for another five years of time even if we again expose to wounds.repeated taking of TT causes hyperimmunisation which is other way dangerous.after taking TT, side effects like swelling,redness,pain at site of injection, fever etc may occur which are infrequent.it is also compulsory to give TT in pregnency to prevent Tetanus of baby called Tetanus neonatorum.it is compulsory to take TT after wounds, especially in countries like India where chances of infection is quite high.And last thing i wanted to say about one bad practise in india is,PLEASE DONT APPLY SOIL TO INJURED PART.

By Zafar