Tetanus shot for electrical shock

[Catt75]

DH was unplugging the car the other day and got a shock. He went to the hospital because his hand seemed badly burned. He told me that the doc told him it was a minor burn. They checked him out and said he would be fine but they also gave him a tetanus shot...why did they do that

[sapphire_chan]

Cause electricity can, apparently, rust? News to me and I'm 2 credits away from a degree in electrical engineering technology.

Was the burn so bad it looked like a puncture wound?

Maybe they had some of the vax. that was about to go bad and they were trying to use it up?

[*Erin*]

wth? unless the cord was covered in animal feces (where tetenus likes to live), and the burn was actually a puncture wound in disguise...i don't know why they'd do that.

[Fyrestorm]

Actually, burns are a pretty good place for tetanus. It's usually a closed wound with no oxygenation. Burns and crush wounds are more worrisome than most other injuries. That being said, I'm still pretty sure I would have have declined it.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

Actually, burns are a pretty good place for tetanus. It's usually a closed wound with no oxygenation.

Now that I can see. I'm just confused as to how the tetanus would've gotten into the wound.

[Fyrestorm]

Tetanus is EVERYWHERE! If there was even the smallest break in the skin it can enter. It's a fallacy that it only lives in animal feces and rust. It's anywhere dirt is.

[Catt75]

Interesting. So regardless of all the tetanus shots we have had growing up through regular vaccinations you still have to get another tetanus shot whenever something happens to you.

They never checked his vax records or asked him about the last time he was vaccinated for tetanus. How do they know if he did not have a tetanus shot last week. What is the point of vaxing for tetanus in dtap if they are just going to inject you if they feel it necessary.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Catt75

Interesting. So regardless of all the tetanus shots we have had growing up through regular vaccinations you still have to get another tetanus shot whenever something happens to you.

They never checked his vax records or asked him about the last time he was vaccinated for tetanus. How do they know if he did not have a tetanus shot last week. What is the point of vaxing for tetanus in dtap if they are just going to inject you if they feel it necessary.

Exactly...they should have asked when his last booster was. If they were extremely concerned with tetnus they would have given him TIG anyway. They were just pushing the vax......

[Catt75]

What is TIG

Originally Posted by Marnica

Exactly...they should have asked when his last booster was. If they were extremely concerned with tetnus they would have given him TIG anyway. They were just pushing the vax......

[Marnica]

Tetanus immune globulin (TIG) This is usually used to provide passive immunity to tetanus as part of a postexposure prophylaxis regimen following a tetanus-prone wound and also is used in the treatment of tetanus.

[Sileree]

TIG should only be considered for a really bad burn with dead tissue in my opinion.