Tetanus prophylaxis — MCCQE Part 1 MCQ

Correct answer: D — Clean the wound and provide tetanus-containing booster, with immunoglobulin if immunisation is incomplete/high risk

Clean the wound and provide tetanus-containing booster, with immunoglobulin if immunisation is incomplete/high risk is best because contaminated wounds require immunisation review and prophylaxis. Use a United States screening schedule instead of Canadian guidance is suboptimal because MCCQE questions expect Canadian preventive-care guidance; Defer all preventive care until symptoms develop is suboptimal because screening and immunisation aim to prevent disease before symptoms; Order the most invasive test as routine first-line screening is suboptimal because screening should balance benefit, harm and resource use; Screen at every visit regardless of interval or prior results is suboptimal because over-screening causes avoidable false positives and harm. Tetanus prevention is wound-care plus vaccine-status assessment.

Reference: Canadian Immunization Guide