Tetanus

Tetanus is an acute infectious disease characterized by painful spasms of the muscles and caused by the Bacillus tetani which gains entrance into the body through a wound or break in the skin. The tetanus bacillus produces a toxin which is one of the most powerful poisons mown.

The incubation period varies on an average from 5 to 15 days. In general, the shorter the incubation period the more serious is the disease. The earliest symptoms are vague. The patient is restless, irritable; he suffers from nightmare, and may become delirious. Severe headache, difficulty in urination, and sweating may be noted. In the majority of cases following a short period when there is pain in the back of the neck and in the muscles of the jaw, a tonic spasm of the masticating muscles occurs so that the patient is unable to open his mouth, producing the characteristic picture known as lockjaw (trismus). Gradually all muscles of the body become affected except those of the forearm and of the hand. At the height of the disease there occurs the typical facial expression known as risus sardonicus, where the patient appears to be laughing, due to the drawing up of the angles of the mouth. The brows are contracted, the eyes partly closed, the teeth are clenched tightly and the lips are slightly protruded. The body is arched in the position known as opisthotonus. Upon the slightest stimulus the entire body may go into a convulsive seizure of the utmost severity, accompanied by severe pain.

There is no characteristic temperature; the patient may be afebrile or ran a fever as high as 104°F during the attacks.

Death may ensue within the first 48 hours or at any time up to one week after onset. If the patient survives the first week, his chances of recovery are greatly improved, the spasms gradually lessening in frequency and severity.

POST-TEXT ASSIGNMENTS:

Exercise10. Answer the following questions.

What can tetanus be characterized by?

What is tetanus caused by?

What is toxin?

What is the incubation period of tetanus?

What are the symptoms of tetanus?

When does a tonic spasm of masticating muscles occur?

How can you describe such typical facial expression known Risus Sardonicus?

When may death ensue in tetanus?

When are the changes of recovery greatly improved?

How does Bacillus tetani gain entrance into the body?

Exercise 11. Complete the following sentences using the text.

Tetanus is an acute infectious disease characterized by …

… which gains entrance into the body through a wound or break in the skin.

The incubation period varies…

Severe headache, difficulty in urination, and sweating …

The patient is unable to open his mouth, producing the …

Gradually all muscles of the body become … of the forearm and of the hand.

… there occurs the typical facial expression known as risus sardonicus.

The body … known as opisthotonus.

The patient may be …during the attacks.

Death may ensue within … after onset.

Exercise 12. Read the sentences and say whether the following ones are true to the text:

Tetanus is an acute inherited disease characterized by painful spasms of the muscles.

Tetanus is caused by the Bacillus tetani which gains entrance into the body through the blood.

The tetanus bacillus produces a toxin.

The incubation period varies on an average from 15 to 25 days.

Gradually all muscles of the body become affected inclusive those of the forearm and of the hand.

The typical facial expression known as risus sardonicus, where the patient appears to be crying, due to the drawing up of the angles of the mouth.

The body is arched in the position known as opisthotonus.

There is no characteristic temperature; the patient may be afebrile or ran a fever as high as 40,00°C during the attacks.

Exercise 13. Translate the following word combinations. Make up sentences of your own.

Сопровождаться сильной болью, спазм жевательных мышц, проникать через разрыв кожи, тоническое сокращение мышщ спины и шеи с запрокидыванием головы и вытягиванием конечностей, характерная картина болезни, постепенно уменьшаться в частоте и тяжести, инкубационный период болезни, сильно сжатые зубы, пик болезни

Exercise 14. Translate into English, using Complex Subject Construction.

Известно, что столбняк является острым хроническим заболеванием, которое характеризуется болезненными спазмами мышц.

Оказывается, что при столбняке Bacillus tetani проникает в организм через рану или через разрыв кожи.

Инкубационный период болезни меняется в среднем от 5 до 15 дней.

Первичными симптомами столбняка, вероятно, будут возбужденное состояние, раздражительность, кошмарные сновидения, и делирий.

Говорят, что в разгар болезни, у пациента часто случалось типичное выражение лица, известное как risus sardonicus.

При столбняке повышение температуры обычно не наблюдается.

Смерть может наступить в течение 48 часов или же в любое время после начала приступа.

Несомненно, шансы у пациента на выздоровление увеличатся, если он выживет в первую неделю.

Exercise 15. Put questions to the underlined members of sentences.

Tetanus is an acute infectious disease characterized by painful spasms of the muscles and caused by the Bacillus tetani.

The Bacillus tetani gains entrance into the body through a wound or break in the skin.

The tetanus bacillus produces a toxin which is one of the most powerful poisons mown.

The patient is restless, irritable and suffers from nightmare, and may become delirious.

Gradually all muscles of the body become affected except those of the forearm and of the hand.

At the height of the disease there occurs the typical facial expression known as risus sardonicus.

The patient appears to be laughing, due to the drawing up of the angles of the mouth.

The patient may be afebrile or ran a fever as high as 104°F during the attacks.

Death may ensue within the first 48 hours or at any time up to one week after onset.

The incubation period varies on an average from 5 to 15 days.

Exercise 16. Use the verbs in brackets in the appropriate tense. Translate them into Russian.

The tetanus bacilli (to produce) a toxin which is one of the most powerful poisons mown.

The incubation period is likely (to vary) on an average from 5 to 15 days in future.

The patient was restless, irritable; he (to suffer) from nightmare, and (to become) delirious.

At the height of the disease there (to occur) the typical facial expression known as risus sardonicus.

The brows (to contract), the eyes partly closed, the teeth (to clench) tightly and the lips (to protrude) slightly.

Now the patient’s body is reported (to arch) in the position known as opisthotonus.

Upon the slightest stimulus the entire body just (to go) into a convulsive seizure of the utmost severity, accompanied by severe pain.

It was said, that the patient (to ran) a fever as high as 104°F during the attacks for a weak.

Death is known may (to ensue) within the first 48 hours or at any time up to one week after onset.

If the patient survives the first week, his chances of recovery (greatly to improve), the spasms gradually (to lessen) in frequency and severity.

Exercise 17. Give the summary of the text.

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