Intrathecal antitetanus serum (horse) with steroid in the treatment of neonatal tetanus.

107 patients with neonatal tetanus were studied and the value of intrathecal antitetanus serum with steroid was noted. The mortality rate in a control group (68%) was significantly higher than that of the test group (37%). Furthermore, a delay in antitetanus serum administration was found to have a strong positive linear correlation with the mortality rate. In fact, the mortality rate for neonates who were given antitetanus serum 24 hours after the onset of convulsions was found to be as high as for the control group. This suggests that intrathecal antitetanus serum is ineffective unless it is administered within 24 hours of the onset of convulsions. There was no significant difference in mortality rate whether a dose of 100 units or one of 50 units antitetanus serum was given intrathecally. The mean duration in hospital for survivals of the test group (7.4 days) was significantly shorter than that for survivals of the control group (10.4 days). No complication of intrathecal antitetanus serum was observed during the study.