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. 2009 Mar 6:2:34.
doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-34.

Characteristic tetanus infection in disaster-affected areas: case study of the Yogyakarta earthquakes in Indonesia

Agung Budi Sutiono  1 , Andri Qiantori, Hirohiko Suwa, Toshizumi Ohta
Affiliations

Characteristic tetanus infection in disaster-affected areas: case study of the Yogyakarta earthquakes in Indonesia

Agung Budi Sutiono et al. BMC Res Notes. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by the contamination of wounds from bacteria that live in soil. The tetanus mortality rate remains high in developing countries affected by natural disasters. Whether the socio-demography and geographical conditions may influence the tetanus treatment outcome on the earthquake situation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia has not been investigated.

Findings: We present 26 tetanus patients who were admitted to eight hospitals following the earthquakes that occurred on May, 27, 2006, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The independent variables were age, gender, distance, admission, hospitalization, and type of hospital with the dependent variable surviving or perishing. Data were analyzed by logistic regression methods on SPSS 17.0. The distance from the patient's place of residence to the hospital were obtained and analyzed by using geospatial tools MapInfo 7.8 SCP and Global Mapper 7. Eight of the 26 patients were dead (30.8%) and statistical results showed that the distance (OR = 1.740, 95% CI = 1.068-2.835) and type of hospital (OR = 0.067, 95% CI = 0.001-3.520) were significant predictors of death.

Conclusion: Our findings show that in order to reduce the mortality rates, performing triage systems based on the distance and type of hospital priority for internally displaced persons could be proposed as well as making provisions for the generally old population in order to prevent an outbreak of tetanus following earthquakes in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Open wound on disaster is susceptible for Clostridium tetani.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Tetanus patient's origin, hospitals location and geographical 3D landscape on the earthquakes in Yogyakarta Indonesia. Geospatial view by using MapInfo Professional 7.8. SCP. Geospatial view by using Global Mapper 7. road = red line. county border = dots and dashes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tetanus patient's distribution by hospitals on the earthquakes in Yogyakarta Indonesia. Blue = die. Green = live.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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