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It can be. The actual infection, Tetanus, is commonly referred to as Lockjaw because of the symptoms: muscle spasms in the face/jaw area, stiffness of the jaw, trouble swallowing, etc. Tetanus can be avoided by regular tetanus vaccines/boosters (about every 6-7 yrs). Only about 1% of cases today result in fatality. Because of awareness, that number is GREATLY less than it was about 100 yrs ago. Tetanus can enter the body through any kind of cut, scrape, scratch, etc. on the skin. The best thing to do to prevent the growth of this infection is to be aware of when your last tetanus booster was (call your doctor if you're not sure) and keep the cut, scrape, etc. clean (soap/water, alcohol, peroxide, and Neosporin).

So to sum up whether or not lockjaw is fatal...in some cases yes, but most cases no.

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14y ago

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