infections
Tetanus
Diagnosis of Tetanus
A doctor's evaluation A doctor suspects tetanus when certain muscles (commonly, jaw and back muscles) become rigid or spasms occur, particularly in people who have a wound. The bacteria can sometimes be grown (cultured) from a sample taken from the wound. However, culture results sometimes indicate tetanus when it is not present (a false-positive result), and tetanus may be present even if no bacteria are detected (a false-negative result). Thus, doctors do not rely on culture to diagnose tetanus. 