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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell H he doesn’t need to go to A and E?

58 replies

annie987 · 04/11/2018 11:41

H stepped on a rusty nail late last night while manning our bonfire. It’s not a deep wound but the nail was filthy. His leg ached for a bit but is ok this morning. He can wait to see a GP tomorrow can’t he?

OP posts:
bluetongue · 04/11/2018 12:06

What’s the current recommendation for tetanus jabs? I last had one in 2000 after a dog bite.

bettytaghetti · 04/11/2018 12:07

A family friend got tetanus from a scratch to her hand from a rusty nail whilst gardening. She ended up in hospital for months and all the doctors were having to get their books out because it had been so long since they'd had a case.
Glad your DH is going to get a tetanus shot just in case.

sashh · 04/11/2018 12:12

If there is a red line coming out of it he needs to go to a and e, other wise he can be seen at out of hours or GP.

Jaxhog · 04/11/2018 12:12

If he wants to go to A&E, then take him! Surely it's his call, not yours?

StealingYourWiFi · 04/11/2018 12:13

He needs an anti tetanus booster if he's not had one in the last 10 years. They also may want to give him antibiotics. I

Babymamamama · 04/11/2018 12:15

Why would try to discourage a sane adult from seeking medical advice?

Lwmommy · 04/11/2018 12:16

He should get it properly cleaned out if it was rusty. I did work experience many many years ago at a hospital and met a guy who had to have his leg amputated below the knee because he stood on a rusty nail, developed a nasty infection qnd didnt get it treated quick enough to stop the spread.

Not a massively common outcome but enough of a risk to have it properly cleaned out.

MrsSpenserGregson · 04/11/2018 12:16

I hope your DH is OK.

As an aside, to everyone suggesting going to an out-of-hours GP: we certainly don't have this option available where I live. We don't have a minor injuries clinic either. (South coast UK). We have A&E 24/7, or GP Mon-Fri during working hours. So if I'd stepped on a rusty nail on a Saturday night, I'd have gone to A&E. It's what it's there for!

NeverTwerkNaked · 04/11/2018 12:17

Is there a minor injuries unit he could go to?

Kahlua4me · 04/11/2018 12:18

Probably a good idea to get an ooh appt as it may need flushing through to make sure there is nothing left in the site. Better to get a professional opinion rather than leave it and then have to deal with an infection.

In the meantime he could soak his foot in salted warm water. DS was advised to do this daily for a week following a leg injury when he fell off his bike.

Missingstreetlife · 04/11/2018 12:24

A deep puncture wounds is nasty and potentially dangerous, watch for infection. A scratch not so worrying. Where were his boots?

TrudeauGirl · 04/11/2018 12:37

I think he should have got it sorted out sooner. Rusty nails can cause a lot of nasty things. Sad I hope he's ok

loobylou10 · 04/11/2018 12:47

@RubiksQueen - that was exactly my first thought.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/11/2018 12:58

bluetongue DH was told he didn't need a tetanus when he trod on a rusty nail. Apparently this was because he'd had all his jabs when he was young and a certain amount of boosters as an adult (I can't remember how many, I was trying not to faint).

DrPeppersPhD · 04/11/2018 13:00

I wouldn't be listening to 111 in this case. If it was filthy and rusty and a puncture wound he needs to be seeing someone now.

Jlynhope · 04/11/2018 13:10

Yes he needs to go. Why would you not want him to?

alfagirl73 · 04/11/2018 13:21

Tbh I'd be taking him to A&E to be on the safe side; these types of injuries that look like nothing can often turn VERY nasty... sepsis is extremely serious and the initial signs are not always apparent - especially to someone without medical knowledge. I know someone who stood on a rusty nail and ended up in intensive care - she's lucky to be alive. An "emergency" doesn't have to mean limbs hanging off or a heart attack - it's also about attending to an injury quickly enough so as to prevent dangerous and possibly life-threatening infection.

TroysMammy · 04/11/2018 13:24

My Dad wearing stout boots stepped on a nail in the garden. He had a tetanus booster but a few weeks later had to have bones in his toe removed because they had become infected.

BertieBotts · 04/11/2018 15:00

bluetongue You should get one every 10 years if you're high risk (e.g. a gardener) otherwise it's OK just to get one in the event of an accident which exposes you to the risk.

ShalomJackie · 04/11/2018 15:19

Make sure he definitely gets it though. DSS stood on a rusty nail, had his tetanus shot but still got sepsis Confused

greathat · 04/11/2018 15:25

Tetanus shot is for tetanus not sepsis

dontalltalkatonce · 04/11/2018 15:53

Side question: if you've had a booster as an adult and you step on a rusting nail or the like then you don't need further jabs, do you?

YoThePussy · 04/11/2018 15:55

I have a scar across my thigh from standing on a rusty nail when I was five. Despite being cleaned properly the infection travelled up my leg to form a massive abscess. Nothing could shift this so my leg was cut open and a stent put in to drain the poison. The pain was so great that although I was given an anaesthetic I could be heard screaming throughout the hospital.

Very glad to hear your DP is going to get a tetanus shot OP.

Aridane · 04/11/2018 15:56

“Do I need a tetanus jab (vaccine) after an accident or injury?
Page contents
When to seek medical advice
Tetanus vaccination programme
Treatment with tetanus immunoglobin
Further information
You may need a tetanus jab if the injury has broken your skin and your tetanus vaccinations aren't up-to-date.
Tetanus is a serious but rare condition that can be fatal if untreated.
The bacteria that can cause tetanus can enter your body through a wound or cut in your skin. They are often found in soil and manure.
When to seek medical advice
You should contact your GP or NHS 111 if you're concerned about a wound, particularly if:
the wound is deep
the wound contains dirt or a foreign object
you haven't been fully vaccinated against tetanus
you're not sure whether you've been fully vaccinated against tetanus
Your GP can assess the wound and decide if you need a vaccination or any other treatment.
You should immediately go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department or call 999 for an ambulance if you develop severe muscle stiffness or spasms.
Tetanus vaccination programme
Tetanus vaccination is given as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme against tetanus.
A full course of tetanus vaccination consists of five doses of the vaccine. This should be enough to give you long-term protection from tetanus.
However, if you're not sure how many doses you've received, you may need a booster dose after an injury that breaks your skin.
If you've definitely received five doses of the tetanus vaccine, you are fully vaccinated and don't need a booster dose.”

(from NHS website )

3luckystars · 04/11/2018 15:58

If he is asking to go to the hospital then take him.

Injury from a rusty nail could turn septic and most people I know would be very reluctant to go to hospital, so it is probably bad already.

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