Penicillin will prevent tetanus
No where in the Health Page is penicillin listed as a treatment for a person who has contracted tetanus. Dr. Amiro Perez Mera, one of Latin America?s leading experts in Immunology and one of the most respected physicians in the DR, recommends a penicillin shot as a preventive measure, not as a treatment of the disease. We will try to restate the content so it is clear that the penicillin shot should be given immediately after the injury occurs to prevent contracting tetanus.
Dr. Perez reaffirmed in a telephone conversation that the penicillin shot was more effective than a tetanus booster after the wound occurred, because it would kill the biologically active form of the bacillus that could cause the tetanus. He said that a tetanus booster is slower acting and less effective than the penicillin. He explained that the penicillin stops the spore from becoming active upon finding favorable conditions within a deep wound. The object that caused the wound would have had to be infected with animal feces at some point in time, even two years ago.
He also explained that a superficial wound will not produce tetanus, as the bacillus will not survive without air. He explained that a tetanus booster prior to the visit will reactivate the immunological memory. But he feels this is an unnecessary precaution if the person has had the three dpt vaccinations as a child. He stands by the recommendation made in the DR1 Health Page, that it is better to get a penicillin shot afterwars rather than a tetanus booster afterwards. We got back to our pathologist source, Dr. Redondo, who agreed with Dr. Perez Mera?s recommendation and stressed that that area was Dr. Perez area of expertise.
We again list Dr. Perez?s and Dr. Redondo?s credentials again for those concerned with our sources. Dr. Holbrook, please feel free to call Dr. Perez to discuss the matter further with him.
Dr. Amiro P?rez Mera. Dr. Amiro P?rez Mera graduated from the Universidad de Santo Domingo in 1963, with a masters in public health from the School of Tropical Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico, going on to a prestigious local and international career in public health medicine. His extensive curriculum includes the following: Two-time Minister of Public Health of the Dominican Republic. He is nationally and internationally recognized for eradicating polio and yaws sicknesses in the Dominican Republic. He has been guest lecturer and professor at the University of Texas (Austin, Houston and San Antonio), University of Harvard, University South Carolina, John Hopkins University in Baltimore, University of Puerto Rico, and the Institute for Development Studies of Sussex, England, as well as at innumerable medical conferences around the world. He has also been a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization and represented the Americas in the World Health Organization committees and consulted to improve medical systems in Bolivia and Ecuador for the Agency of International Development and the United Nations. He is the founder of the School of Public Health at the UASD in Santo Domingo and has been dean of the School of Medicine of INTEC in Santo Domingo. He is recognized as a national and international authority on tropical medicine, preventive medicine and immunology. He is at present retired but continues to pursue studies in his field. He can be reached at Tel. 809 565-4601
Dr. Yazmin Redondo graduated from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ure?a in Santo Domingo. She carried out post graduate studies in Surgery in New Haven, Connecticut and Pathology at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. At present she is director of the Pathology Department at the Oncol?gico Heriberto Pieter, the local public health cancer center, in addition to her private practice in pathology. She can be reached at the Oncol?gico at Tel. 685-6681, Ext. 369 or at her practice at 685-7341.