Development and application of passive immunizing agents against tetanus: a literature review

Immunoprophylaxis against tetanus is divided into passive and active immunization.Passive immunizing agents include tetanus antitoxin and human tetanus immunoglobulin.Tetanus antitoxin played an important role in early tetanus immunoprophylaxis.However, some safety problems do exist as it contains allogeneic serum and because of that, it has been gradually replaced by human tetanus immunoglobulin.Misapplication of passive immune agents has resulted in a waste of medical resources and revealed potential medical risks.Standardized and rational application of active immunizing agents (tetanus toxoid) with reduced usage of passive immunizing agents is the most effective measure to prevent Clostridium tetani infection. Key words: Tetanus; Immunoprophylaxis; Passive immunity; Active immunity