Post-operative tetanus following recto-sigmoidal carcinoma surgery: A case report

Tetanus is often seen as either neonatal tetanus or adult cases of tetanus. Rarely tetanus has been reported in postoperative patients as well. We report a case of post-operative tetanus following recto-sigmoidal carcinoma surgery in a labourer in North India. Since the diagnosis is mainly clinical, so high index of suspicion should be borne in mind regarding presentation after surgery. Early diagnosis helps in instituting treatment to neutralize the toxin thus leading to good prognosis of an otherwise fatal disease.