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General health

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Original poster

Does he need a tetanus jab?

15 replies

northender · 10/04/2006 22:08

dh while dismantling the garage floor has stabbed himself with a rusty nail. Hasn't had a tetanus jab for probably 20 years, does he need one? (Also doen't believe I'll get any response from MN!!!) so don't let me down mnetters!!

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 10/04/2006 22:09

yes

Dior · 10/04/2006 22:09

I would say a big...YES!

charliecat · 10/04/2006 22:09

yes

Heathcliffscathy · 10/04/2006 22:10

question is can the wound be completely cleaned and can air get to it. if the answer is no than yes.

Chapsmum · 10/04/2006 22:10

how old is DH? and has he had all his immunisations from primary school to high school?

Original poster

northender · 10/04/2006 22:11

Thanks guys. Ha that'll teach him not to believe me! OK I'll send him off to the GP tomorrow.

OP posts:

LaylaandSethsmum · 10/04/2006 22:11

If he has had at least five in his life time ( which he probably has if he had all his child hood ones and probably a booster or to!!)then he doesn't need anymore as the wound is unlikely to be tetanus prone.
You'd be best to ring his GP in the morning and ask for his notes to be hecked to check his vaccination history and go from there. If the history is incomplete then it is likely he will be offered one!! HTH

expatinscotland · 10/04/2006 22:12

i cut my head on some lichenous rock when i was 24. i'd have all my jabs including the bloody boosters they make you have in the US as a teen.

they still give me another tetnus jab .

they said if it's been longer than 10 years and you cut yourself on something manky, you should have another jab.

i wasn't happy b/c i'd busted my tail bone and had a nasty concussion as well.

Original poster

northender · 10/04/2006 22:13

Chapsmum he's 35 and did have all his school jabs. The surface of the wound is clean but it's difficult to say how deep it is as he's pulled the nail out

OP posts:

Dior · 10/04/2006 22:15

Can I just say...'ouch!' Your poor dh!

LaylaandSethsmum · 10/04/2006 22:16

Get him to check with his surgery but dept of health advice is that 5 tetanus vaccinations give lifetime cover . They may want to check the wound but it is unlikey to be tetanus prone.

Chapsmum · 10/04/2006 22:16

Like layla and seths mum has said if he has had at least five in his life time, new guidlines would suggest that he is immune for life. However tetanus will some be given by some practitioners for "high risk" cuts.
Additionally, If you do not know how deep the wound is it would be worth letting the gp hava a look to make sure there is no undelying damage , or source of infection.

Original poster

northender · 11/04/2006 20:21

Just to update you he went to the GPs today and they did give him a jab, not before he'd convinced himself he was developing lockjaw! Dior, he thought you were more sympathetic than me!

OP posts:

Chapsmum · 11/04/2006 20:34

lock jaw, LOL manjaw more like!!!
glad he got it sorted!

Dior · 12/04/2006 00:41

Only because I nearly sliced my finger off last year . I was working that night, so bandaged it up, and got on with it...

I was told a few days later that I should have had it stitched, but that it was too late, and it would be really scarred. Luckily it healed really well, although it is fairly numb. GP said that the full sensation might never return because I had severed the nerve

It bloody hurt too, so I felt some sympathy for him...if it was h I wouldn't be as sympatheitc!

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