Turkey red blood cell passive haemagglutination assay as guideline for specific prevention of tetanus in injured persons.

Turkey red blood cell passive haemagglutination assays (TRBC-HA) were carried out on serum samples from 873 injured patients in order to compare individual prophylactic treatment against tetanus based on the anti-tetanus antibody levels with interventions based on anamnestic criteria. The results showed a great difference: according to the anamnesis 124 persons (14.2%) were protected, 253 (29%) were partially protected, and 496 (56.8%) were unprotected; according to the TRBC-HA assay, 479 (54.9%) were protected, 279 (32%) partially protected, and 115 (13.2%) unprotected.The efficiency of the prophylactic treatments given on the basis of the two criteria was also compared in a study of 129 injured patients who were divided in two groups: group 1 (50 patients) received 250 IU of human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTI) regardless of their tetanus immunity, and group II (79 patients) received appropriate or no treatment depending on the level of anti-tetanus antibodies determined by TRBC-HA assay. The results showed that prophylactic interventions based on the anti-tetanus antibody levels can give protection in 100% of injured patients at minimum cost and risk.