Mistakes do happen, but they shouldn't happen in the medical field. They can also lead to injuries and death. Recently, a 36-year-old man reportedly died after being given a tetanus shot instead of an anti-rabies vaccine.
The incident happened in Gwalior, a city in India. The man, named Raju Kushwaha, suffered a dog bite. Staff at the hospital then gave him a tetanus shot instead of a rabies vaccine. Days later, he began experiencing symptoms of rabies. According to the WHO, "Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal."
The CDC says, "Rabies, caused by rabies virus, is fatal but preventable. The virus can spread to people and animals through the bites and scratches of an infected mammal. Rabies can cause severe disease and death if patients don't receive appropriate and urgent post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after a rabies exposure and before symptoms start."
The man sadly died from rabies, which could have been prevented if he was given the vaccine. Dr. J. Kirtana, Associate Consultant Infectious Diseases at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, spoke with NDTV about why the tetanus vaccine didn't work.
Rabies death
They're two very different diseases.
Dr. Kirtana said, "Tetanus and rabies are completely different diseases, and confusing their prevention can be fatal. Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that produces a neurotoxin. The tetanus vaccine works by generating immunity against this toxin. Rabies, in contrast, is caused by a deadly RNA virus transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, most often via dog bites. It attacks the central nervous system and, once symptoms appear, is almost invariably fatal."
Mixing up the vaccines had deadly conseqences. The man didn't get the appropriate care he needed.
"This is not a minor mix-up, it is a potentially irreversible medical error. Every dog bite must trigger immediate rabies risk assessment and appropriate prophylaxis," added Dr. Kirtana.
