buprenorphine and Tetanus

Injecting drug abusers are vulnerable to many infectious complications. We describe a case of tetanus in a Singaporean who regularly abused buprenorphine.. A 49-year-old male was hospitalised for progressive generalised spasms associated with dysarthria and opisthotonus. Tetanus was diagnosed clinically.. Supportive management was instituted in the intensive care unit (ICU). Toxicology samples tested positive for buprenorphine.. He recovered rapidly and was transferred out of the ICU after 8 days. Retrospective questioning confirmed parenteral abuse of buprenorphine.. This case highlights an uncommon and potentially lethal complication of parenteral drug abuse.

Topics: Buprenorphine; Disease Progression; Dysarthria; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Singapore; Substance Abuse, Intravenous; Substance-Related Disorders; Tetanus

A clinical case of a young adult 23-years old is reported. The concomitant presence of tetanic symptoms and the anamnestic finding of a spider bite has made impossible a differential diagnosis of the pathology. The therapeutic approach, consisting in antibiotics and analgesics, is also reported. The administration of "antivenin" has not proven decisive to the resolution of the clinical picture. The diagnostic doubt has however represented a poorly influencing factor for a correct therapy.

Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Arm; Buprenorphine; Diagnosis, Differential; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Muscular Diseases; Spasm; Spider Bites; Tetanus; Time Factors; Tramadol