Worried about tetanus

[ParisJeTadore]

As a precursor let me start by saying that I am an overall worry wart and hypochondriac. That said....

I was at pottery class last night, just about ready to leave, dug into my bag and managed to stab my finger on one of my tools that is like a thick, long needle. It pierced the skin and went upwards before I ripped it out. I squeezed out any blood, washed it with soap and put on some ointment. The tool itself only comes into contact with clay and is rinsed down after every class.

Of course, now I am freaking out about tetanus and my anxiety is not helping. I have not had a booster and I am also afraid to get one after reading that it has been linked on occasion to stillborn birth. I don't know if I am over reacting or not...Any help?

 

[Nikko88]

Personally I wouldn't worry unless the needle was caked in dirt. Just getting pricked by metal doesn't cause tetanus, infection requires the bacteria that causes tetanus.

According to medicine in pregnancy.org:
"Can the whooping cough vaccine cause stillbirth, preterm birth, or my baby to be small at birth (low birth weight)?

No increased risk of stillbirth, preterm birth (before 37 weeks), or of having a baby with a low birth weight (<2500g) was seen in one study of 20,000 women in the UK in 2012 who received the pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccine Repevax® during the third trimester. Repevax® is very similar to the Boostrix IPV® vaccine currently recommended for pregnant women in the UK."

Again personally, I believe most vaccines do more good than harm. Cases of adverse affects are incredibly rare. Unless you have a history of immune disorders or adverse reactions to vaccines, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[princessellie]

Slather it in savlon and get a plaster on, you will soon tell if it gets infected or it's fine. I cut my fingers badly on car keys a few weeks back and had the same worries lol. Mine was fine with savlon and plasters so hopefully yours will too x

 

[MrS. MaBrEy]

tetanus comes from feces in soil, that's why rusty nails in the ground are the most common way to contract it. if the wound bled immediately the chance of tetanus is nearly nothing. I wouldn't even be concerned.

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

My youngest stepped on a nail in 2014 when we first moved here. It was a rusty nail from her bedroom stuck in some trim that had been thrown somehow into the backyard. (no feces or dirt like other posters have said). I washed it up and put a bandaid on it. Didnt think anything of it.

Fast forward 3 days and she has streaking on her foot and complaining of not being able to walk. Off to the ER and she has a blood infection. She has not been vaccinated so they gave her 2 shots in case it was tetanus. ( it wasnt).

I tell you because you would start to see signs something isnt right and you should keep an eye on it just in case.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thank you so much ladies! You've really put my mind at ease. And Onearth, yes it is good you mentioned it. I will keep a close eye on it for any form of infection. Your poor child, that couldn't have been fun.

 

[bananaz]

Of course, now I am freaking out about tetanus and my anxiety is not helping. I have not had a booster and I am also afraid to get one after reading that it has been linked on occasion to stillborn birth. I don't know if I am over reacting or not...Any help?

Where did you hear that? The Tdap vaccine has been given routinely to pregnant women around the world since the 1960s. I've never seen or heard about any research demonstrating a link between the vaccine and stillbirth. If you have a source I'd be interested in seeing it.

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Thank you so much ladies! You've really put my mind at ease. And Onearth, yes it is good you mentioned it. I will keep a close eye on it for any form of infection. Your poor child, that couldn't have been fun.

It required a 2 day hospital stay with an ultrasound to see how far down the infection went, antibiotics and then they had to do surgery to remove the infection. Shes fine now though and youd never know unless you looked for her scar.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Of course, now I am freaking out about tetanus and my anxiety is not helping. I have not had a booster and I am also afraid to get one after reading that it has been linked on occasion to stillborn birth. I don't know if I am over reacting or not...Any help?

Where did you hear that? The Tdap vaccine has been given routinely to pregnant women around the world since the 1960s. I've never seen or heard about any research demonstrating a link between the vaccine and stillbirth. If you have a source I'd be interested in seeing it.

I read two separate posts on baby center where the posters claimed to have delivered a stillborn a few weeks after taking the vaccine. I am pro-vaxx and not out to create a debate here. Just a worrier who happened to read a couple things that scared me.

Thank you so much ladies! You've really put my mind at ease. And Onearth, yes it is good you mentioned it. I will keep a close eye on it for any form of infection. Your poor child, that couldn't have been fun.

It required a 2 day hospital stay with an ultrasound to see how far down the infection went, antibiotics and then they had to do surgery to remove the infection. Shes fine now though and youd never know unless you looked for her scar.

Wow, that must have been quite the ordeal! Blood infections are nothing to mess around with.

 

[Pippylu]

Everything is so much more worrying when you're pregnant! Last night after I'd washed up from dinner I bumped our chopping knife off the drying rack, it went pointy end down straight into my pinky toe...it was so quick I didn't realise it had happened until I heard the handle hit the floor after it tipped over out of my toe, then it HURT. I'm not one to go to the dr for everything but I am worried about this, not for tetanus but for infection. Fortunately the knife is very sharp so the cut is neat and it appears to be enough to one side that I'm hoping it missed the bone. I'll be heading to the dr when they open this morning, I'm sure it's fine but I need peace of mind! Might be worth a trip to the dr for you too, just in case?

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Everything is so much more worrying when you're pregnant! Last night after I'd washed up from dinner I bumped our chopping knife off the drying rack, it went pointy end down straight into my pinky toe...it was so quick I didn't realise it had happened until I heard the handle hit the floor after it tipped over out of my toe, then it HURT. I'm not one to go to the dr for everything but I am worried about this, not for tetanus but for infection. Fortunately the knife is very sharp so the cut is neat and it appears to be enough to one side that I'm hoping it missed the bone. I'll be heading to the dr when they open this morning, I'm sure it's fine but I need peace of mind! Might be worth a trip to the dr for you too, just in case?

Pippylu, that sounds painful. Seeing as the knife was clean (and not just used for, say, raw chicken) I would say you are most likely ok. I often will squeeze out some of the blood then wash with soapy water and, if it's a pretty bad cut, apply ointment cream.