The 13-year-old was in an artificial deep sleep for 39 days due to tetanus. The teenager is now on the mend and can even eat and drink independently again. His treating physician explains the progress her young patient is making.
It is difficult to imagine what the parents must have gone through at that time: the young patient (13), who, as reported, had become infected with tetanus in the summer, was in a coma for 39 days at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz. .
Now the treating doctor, Ariane Biebl, tells us: The boy is now in rehab. “The first steps have already been taken and that is very encouraging. “Eating and drinking already work independently,” Biebl tells “Krone”. “After 39 days of artificial deep sleep, everyone is very weak and their muscles and motor skills have to be rebuilt. The goal is complete recovery,” explains the senior doctor. Postscript: “The odds are good.”
Coma is the only chance
However, weeks of uncertainty preceded the current rehabilitation stay. The teenager had injured his lower leg in his spare time and had to go to hospital. Because the 13-year-old had not had a proper tetanus vaccination and became infected with the dangerous bacteria through his wound, the disease, also called tetanus, broke out. “The only way to prevent people from dying is to use the strongest drugs in intensive care, which inevitably lead to deep sleep. This is the only chance to survive tetanus,” explains senior doctor Biebl.
“Great joy for the team”
This is how the 13-year-old was treated. The cramps caused by the tetanus bacteria can be so severe that they even break bones. Only when the 13-year-old stopped convulsing could Biebl and her team reduce the medication enough for the young patient to emerge from his coma. “It was a great joy for the entire pediatric intensive care team, who took very good care of him,” says the doctor.
Only vaccination protects against an outbreak
Tetanus bacteria hide all over the world, in dust or in the soil. Only a vaccination can prevent the outbreak of the disease if infected. For anyone who is not sure whether their vaccination protection is still intact after an injury, the following applies, according to senior doctor Biebl: “If in doubt, always refresh!”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
