Author Topic: Tetanus? (Read 4021 times)

artichoke · « **on:** October 29, 2011, 18:38:04 »

I have hammered flat every nail in every plank on my plots, but the one I missed was trodden on by my lovely daughter-in-law this afternoon as she helped me move compost. A definite puncture wound, even if not deep. All my fault, I do realise that.

She's from Thailand and has never heard of tetanus and as far as she knows has had no injections since something she vaguely remembers as a child. I've sent them off to the local hospital to get an injection. Otherwise she couldn't see her GP until Monday, and he might not have the right stuff at the surgery. When I've had the children done, and my own boosters, I have had to make an appointment so they can order it specially.

Do you think I'm over-reacting? But it is such a classic combination: dirty nail in foot, allotment, tetanus........

louise stella · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:00:40 »

DOn't worry!.......
After a bad cut a while back my doctor said that the advice now is not to give boosters everytime you cut yourself anymore - if you've had a full course you should be ok for life! So if she's had one she will be fine - but if in doubt - they may well give her one anyway to be on the safe side!

artichoke · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:08:57 »

Thanks for that.....but she does not know if she had a full course ever, and has certainly never had a booster in her adult life. Hoping that - as you say - they send her away with an injection and we can all relax.

Except, of course, that her family in central Bangkok are awaiting disastrous floods on an unimaginable scale. Rice, allotments, everything drowned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhMp8AnhDF4&feature=player_embedded#

pumkinlover · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:25:08 »

Definatly done the right thing, wound needs cleaning out and they will have the up to date regime for tetanus.
If she live here now she should be given the same protection we do.
Let us know how she gets on :)

ceres · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:32:59 »

Absolutely right thing to do. I jumped on a nail on the plot last summer and went to the local walk-in clinic. Even though I've had all my vaccinations and boosters they gave me a booster AND the immunoglobulin vaccine too because it was an acute exposure - manured soil etc. Also got horse-sized industrial strength antibiotics as the wound couldn't be cleaned - deep puncture.

artichoke · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:49:16 »

Ah. Thank you very much. Reassuring. NOT a panic reaction.

A few years ago I was dressmaking and stepped on a needle which snapped, leaving the thicker end in my heel. I limped about for a month, hoping it would come out, then went to GP who sent me to hospital. To my embarrassment I was triaged ahead of the whole waiting room. I did keep saying "This is not an emergency! It is a healthy wound, I just want te needle out eventually....?" but they insisted. X ray and senior surgeon delving into heel.

(Ramadan, very tired man, apologised for sitting down, I apologised for existing and wearing him out)

So I think they take foot wounds quite seriously. Am waiting to hear how son and wife are being treated.

artichoke · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:50:35 »

PS Have told them to emphasise that it was allotment nail, rusty, old, dirty, manure around

pumkinlover · « **Reply #7 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:53:23 »

Hopefully she will get seen before the drunks roll in ??? ???

ceres · « **Reply #8 on:** October 29, 2011, 19:54:31 »

I'm a member on another forum, completely different subject matter, and there's a member there called onefootdave who is positively evangelical on this subject when it comes up from time to time.

artichoke · « **Reply #9 on:** October 29, 2011, 20:37:54 »

<<< Hopefully she will get seen before the drunks roll in >>>>

Yes, thank you, that's exactly what I said. Go now! 6.30.....

So where can I find onefootdave ???

ceres · « **Reply #10 on:** October 29, 2011, 21:00:57 »

I wasn't suggesting that you go looking for him, only that the reason he is onefootdave is because he didn't do the sort of sensible things suggested in this thread.

saddad · « **Reply #11 on:** October 29, 2011, 21:02:19 »

I remember doing that in '76... jumped down off a wall into long grass... got a plank and nail fastened to my heel...
it was a bank holiday so I had to hobble over two miles to the Dr's ... no buses,couldn't have afforded a taxi and Ambulances were for real emergencies... ::)
Hope she gets seen too quickly before the dross roll in... :-X

artichoke · « **Reply #12 on:** October 29, 2011, 21:03:18 »

That's exactly what I am asking about..... ONE foot?

Sorry, do not mean to sound melodramatic, just a bit worried.....

artichoke · « **Reply #13 on:** October 29, 2011, 21:05:32 »

Thank you, saddad. That is my approach to small wounds, but as this is my lovely d-in-law helping me, I got anxious.

pumkinlover · « **Reply #14 on:** October 29, 2011, 21:17:48 »

Try not to worry. She's gone to hospital now so all will be well. Neccessary precautions taken ;)
Worse that can happen now is slipping on a pavement pizza deposited by a drunk on the way in. ;)

artichoke · « **Reply #15 on:** October 30, 2011, 19:07:32 »

At the hospital they were polite but told her that she should go to her GP on Monday, as 72 hours was a safe period in which to be immunised after a cut. We had looked online but not found anywhere this 72 hours safe period, which I hope is correct. I hope my son managed to explain that she had no immunisation and had been working on an allotment.

pumkinlover · « **Reply #16 on:** October 30, 2011, 19:47:28 »

Well with luck she will get a full course of treatment that way.
You still did the right thing.

gp.girl · « **Reply #17 on:** October 30, 2011, 20:02:57 »

72 hours? Crikey OH sliced his hand deeply with a lawn mower a couple of years ago. Dressed and tetnus jab done straight away. No argument at all, he hadn't been immunised for at least ten years.

Got to admit to leaving a glass sliver in for 2 months, then it came out by itself!

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #18 on:** October 30, 2011, 21:41:28 »

Sounds as though the hospital wanted an excuse. Maybe they didn't want to spend the money. I once had a tooth embedded in my lip after a motorbike crash. It popped out three weeks later.

artichoke · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2011, 11:33:43 »

Her GP is being very casual about this, and told her to come back for an injection on 8th November!

Fortunately, because they had been to the hospital last night and were told she was safe for 72 hours (even if this is not true) my son was able to quote this and as far as I know, she is to be injected late this afternoon.

Very disappointed in this GP practice, not to mention the Conquest, which MUST have had the necessary injections stored for emergencies.

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Author Topic: Tetanus? (Read 4021 times)

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