Do I need a tetanus shot?

[heather]

My last one was in 2000

I cut myself really good tonight putting up chicken wire

hmmmmmmmmm

I'm going to do some searching for what they are recommending these days

[wr]

My doctor usually asks me when I last had one and if I hesitate (usually because I'm trying to think of a good fib), I get one. I think the general rule is every 5 years. Take care of it, I always worry more about infection than I do tetanus when I cut myself.

[madness]

They 'officially' last 10 years, but if it's been more than 5 and you have a potential exposure, my doctor says to go ahead and get another one. I think I've had one just about exactly every 5 years my whole life...

[Tracy Rimmer]

Go. Get one. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

[sewsilly]

Madness is right,,, officially every 10 years, if nothing happens to you.
If it's been 5 years, and you've a puncture or cut, you need to re-up...

[morrowsmowers]

Here's a link to the info.:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/002031.htm

Sounds like it would be time to get one.

Ken in Glassboro, NJ

[DaleK]

When I got my new doctor 5 years ago, she told me I should have a tetanus shot every 10 years. Then she asked what I did and when I told her I farm full-time she said every 5. Then she asked how often I cut myself and she has me getting them every 2 years now. Ask your doctor.

[wr]

I've used the same doctor for years and since we're a small community, he caught on to the fact that some of us just don't like needles so instead of asking us when we had our last shot and then having to go check records, since the records could be with him, at the hospital or the public health nurse, he asks skill testing questions like, 'who gave you your last shot?' and usually adds a couple years to your answer. Thinking I was onto him, I gave him the name of our favorite traveling public health nurse, failing to realize she'd retired about 15 years earlier. My punishment for trying to bluff my cowardly self out of one needle was a fantastic array of boosters for just about everything he could think of. His reward for educating me on honesty was waiting for me to come to, having to phone someone to come pick me up and time spent babysitting me till someone could come pick me up since he forgot that I pass out when we display the needles.

[sue currin]

If you put a rag soaked in kerosene around the wound when it happens, then all the impurities will come out and the soreness will leave as well, then no need for a titanus shot. 30 years and counting and I cut half my foot off on a rusted 55 gallon burning barrel in 2002. Have had many stiches in my life from farming. We gerw up with a doc that used it for rusted nail puncher wounds and the kerosene always worked, no soreness to boot. And before you ask, it does not burn.

[RachAnn in NW Okla]

in 1999 I cut my thumb badly at work....I was in a hurry and the knife just wasnt slicing onions fast enough.....the doc asked when my last tetnus was....I said in a straight face "I need one"....he repeated....I repeated....he repeated....I said "FINE 1980!" He said "Yep you need one!" The tetnus shot hurt worse than the deadening shot so he could stitch my thumb!!!!!

Better safe than sorry....I would get the shot

Rachel

[Bearfootfarm]

My wife is a Medical Assistant. I cut my hand with a saw while deer hunting, and wrapped it up with surveyors tape and hunted a few more hours. A couple of days later she woke me up and stuck a needle in my arm when I sat up!!

I stay vaccinated around her so I dont HAVE to remember anything

Play it safe and get the shot

[anniew]

Heather,
You can get a free tetanus shot in PA at the local State Health Dept. office. We don't have much in the way of a health dept., but one thing they do is give tetanus shots. I asked the local state health nurse about getting a shot and she said wait for 10 years, BUT if you get cut, come in and I'll give you one right away. I also get my flu shot there every fall.
Ann

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

Blood poisoning is more of a risk if the chicken wire you cut yourself on is rusty. If it's shiny new, I wouldn't worry about it. Doctors always go for the needle to play it safe...they give you the shot even if your tetanus is considered current.

Your wound should be kept squeaky clean until it starts to heal. I trust you already washed it and sterilized it with alcohol.

If I got a tetanus shot every time I cut myself on metal, I'd look like an old dartboard;-)

RF

BTW: Next time you better be wearing leather gloves!

[Ed Norman]

My last one was in 1977 and it swelled and turned blue around the injection. Doc said I had developed an allergy to it, because I had so many of them as a kid. Said the next time I get a shot, my whole body will swell up and turn blue. Now nobody seems that concerned about it, I tell the docs and they don't bat an eye. They say if I ever get tetanus, they can deal with it other ways.

[shellycoley]

Has a doctor ever NOT recommended a tetnus shot?
Even if you had one last month they will still give another one.

Personaly, I'd worry more about making sure the wound was cleaned and
didn't need stitching up than about tetnus.

Hope you heal fast.

Shelly

[CGUARDSMAN]

over 5 years??? i would get one....my sister is an RN and that is what she said too! better safe than sorry.

[Teleah]

(1st post, Hi all!) It is my understanding that if your wound was bleeding pretty well, you simply can not get infected w/ tetanus. It is the deep puncture wounds that do not bleed that are a worry. The oxygen in your blood prevents infection. The tetanus shot also will not help w/ this injury, you would need the TIG, as the vaccine is not retroactive - docs just see it as an oppurtunity to stick you. You can have your immunity level checked (titers) to see if your last shot is still effective. So if it were me or one of my crew? Nope, no shot in this case.

[heather]

Originally Posted by Rocky Fields

BTW: Next time you better be wearing leather gloves!

Well, I was wearing gloves, but it was so hot out that I just couldn't bear to wear pants - I had shorts on & tore up my legs -
I cleaned all the scrapes but was worried because the wire was rusty.

THANKS everyone for the comments -
Still not sure what I will do - I don't do well with shots, but I probably wouldn't do well with lockjaw either