Polyradiculoneuritis Secondary to Immunization With Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids

According to the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee of the Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta),1the four preparations used for tetanus prophylaxis are (1) diphtheria (10 or 15 flocculating units [Lf]) and tetanus (5 or 10 Lf) toxoids and pertussis vaccine (DTP), used for primary immunization and for the first booster injection for children aged 3 to 6 years; (2) tetanus (5 or 10 Lf) and diphtheria (1.4 or 2 Lf) toxoids (Td), the recommended preparation for booster immunizations and for wound prophylaxis in patients older than 7 years; (3) tetanus toxoid alone (5 or 10 Lf), primarily used for wound prophylaxis in patients older than 7 years; and (4) diphtheria (10 or 15 Lf) and tetanus (5 or 10 Lf) toxoids (DT), used for infants and children in whom pertussis vaccine is contraindicated. The combination of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids is the preferred, and by far the most