A rare clinical case of recovery after the development of a generalized form of tetanus in an 84-year-old woman is presented. The course of traumatic (wound) tetanus was characterized by the following features: short incubation period (10—11 days); encephalitic variant of tetanus with lesions of the upper parts of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata (respiratory center, nuclei of the vagus nerve, cardiovascular center); clinical death on the 22nd day of illness; artificial lung ventilation for 26 days; effectiveness of resuscitation and clinical recovery.