Prophylaxis against Tetanus: an Investigation into Efficiency of a Method.

A study has been made by clinical methods and by bio-assay of the effectiveness of a régime for prophylaxis against tetanus. The two principal objects of the method were to ensure that active immunization was offered to all patients who had received antitoxin and to measure the effect of the combined administration of toxoid and antitoxin. Because of a high incidence of failure to re-attend, 63.9% of patients requiring protection against tetanus would never have begun a course of active immunity unless toxoid had been given at the first attendance. The administration of antitoxin at the same time as the toxoid is given does not interfere with the latter's ability to provoke an immune response. A second injection of fluid toxoid produced a satisfactory immune response in 80.6% of subjects whose first dose had been given simultaneously with antitoxin.