I am still freaking out about Tetanus - Page 2

[kavamamakava]

Originally Posted by TonyaW

I would be interested in hearing why splinters are not a concern. I would feel better knowing my son could be treated for an obvious injury. Why aren't splinters a concern when I keep reading they are?

It comes down to basic anatomy. Tetanus is a disease of blood contamination and is a concern with a deep puncture wound that bleeds but does not bleed out and then closes up over the wound. The epidermis, the top layer of skin, is avascular. It has nerve endings but there is no blood in it. That's why you can get a paper cut that doesn't bleed but really stings. If a splinter does not go further than the epidermis then there won't be blood contamination as there is no blood in the epidermis. That's why I said it would have to be a large (and deep) splinter to be of any concern in the first place.

[TonyaW]

Originally Posted by kavamamakava

It comes down to basic anatomy. Tetanus is a disease of blood contamination and is a concern with a deep puncture wound that bleeds but does not bleed out and then closes up over the wound. The epidermis, the top layer of skin, is avascular. It has nerve endings but there is no blood in it. That's why you can get a paper cut that doesn't bleed but really stings. If a splinter does not go further than the epidermis then there won't be blood contamination as there is no blood in the epidermis. That's why I said it would have to be a large (and deep) splinter to be of any concern in the first place.

I don't understand this because if it is a disease of blood contamination, then blood always has oxygen in it right and oxygen kills tetanus.

[TonyaW]

Originally Posted by MujerMamaMismo

My DS is currently completely unvax'ed but tetanus is the one vax that I spend a lot of time worrying about so I understand your concern. My kid is adventure baby and is always hurting himself in the garden.

Have you considered vax'ing him against tetanus homeopathically? That's what I have recently decided to do and I feel really good about the decision.

Do you have more info about this? I am interested for sure! Thanks!

[kavamamakava]

I'm guessing it needs to be exposed to oxygen gas, not liquid oxygen carrying red blood cells. The oxygen we breath is in converted into liquid oxygen rich blood through the lungs. When tetanus gets in the blood and is not exposed to air it can travel through the blood to other parts of the body and that is where the danger lies. That's also why if you get a deep puncture wound and it bleeds a bit, you are highly unlikely to be at risk for tetanus since tetanus would have an almost impossible task of flowing IN to your body when the blood is flowing OUT.

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by kavamamakava

It comes down to basic anatomy. Tetanus is a disease of blood contamination and is a concern with a deep puncture wound that bleeds but does not bleed out and then closes up over the wound. The epidermis, the top layer of skin, is avascular. It has nerve endings but there is no blood in it. That's why you can get a paper cut that doesn't bleed but really stings. If a splinter does not go further than the epidermis then there won't be blood contamination as there is no blood in the epidermis. That's why I said it would have to be a large (and deep) splinter to be of any concern in the first place.

the epidermis does not have nerve endings. they are located in the dermis.

i'm not sure about the ability of the splinter to cause tetanus but i do know that a splinter does not have to be terribly deep to penetrate the dermis.

[kavamamakava]

I'm not a doctor, sorry if I brought up something in an example that wasn't 100% accurate. But I was only trying to explain why a cut that doesn't bleed hurts - it wasn't directly a part of the discussion on tetanus anyway. The point is that there has to be contact with blood in order for tetanus to get into the blood. Of course that is not likely to happen in a splinter that does not puncture deep enough to cause bleeding. And the contact with blood cannot also have access to air. Not sure why you bothered to point out an inaccuracy in a mention of nerve anatomy when it's really completely irrelevant.

[BunnySlippers]

I don't think you can get tetanus from a splinter...

If it helps my dd (almost 8yrs old) is a barefooted nature loving country girl. I stopped pulling out splinters (unless they are ginormous or annoying her) when she was 3. She gets them all.the.time.
She spends many hours going barefoot on the farm, a horse farm at that (apparently horses increase the risk of tetanus?). She is healthy, and sturdy and I have learned to stop looking for worries where I shouldn't

[Marnica]

Technically one can get tetanus from a splinter, but the odds of this are extremely rare.

Dr. Mendelshon wrote about his feelings on the Tetanus vaccine in The People’s Doctor Newsletter 1976-1988. Some of what he wrote has been quoted above.

There has been a growing recognition that no controlled scientific study (in which half the patients were given the vaccine and the other half were given injections of sterile water) has ever been carried out to prove the safety and effectiveness of the tetanus vaccine. Evidence for the vaccine comes from epidemiologic studies which are by nature controversial and which do not satisfy the criteria for scientific proof.
..... The tetanus vaccine over the decades has been progressively weakened in order to reduce the considerable reaction (fever and swelling) it used to cause. Accompanying this reduction in reactivity has been a concomitant reduction in antigenicity (the ability to confer protection). Therefore, there is a good chance that today’s tetanus vaccine is about as effective as tap water.

[ammiga]

Originally Posted by TonyaW

The only source I quoted in favor for vaccination was Dr Sears. Dr Mendolsohn is clearly against vaccination, but the only one that he didn't seem to recommend against was tetanus except the booster. Romm seems to be neither here nor there except for tetanus which she seemed to clearly promote. She gives lots of info about the diseases, treatments and vaccines and never clearly makes an opinion except about tetanus.

I do have other very anti vaccine books but all seem to lean towards vaccination for tetanus or simply give info about the disease without direct opinions.

Do you have a good book recommendation regarding the issues you mentioned? I am planning on getting Tennpenny's book, but I am not sure how much info she has on tetanus.

I guess I don't find Mendelsohn or Romm to be anti-vaccine. I think they are both skeptical, but not necessarily "anti".

What issues that I mentioned are you looking for books about? I reread my post, but can't tell which issues you would like to read about in a book.

[LilNicksMom]

TonyaW....

I feel just the same as you... Tetanus is the ONE I worry aout the most. Thanks to everyone and all of the information given in this post. It always help. I have been collecting as much info as I can on it as I am sure you have .... This may have all ready been posted but here is a link to Dr. Mendelsohn's Tetanus article that I have. I am going to see what else I can post ... too late tonight.

http://www.wellwithin1.com/tetanus.htm

I, too, am interested in any homeopathic alternatives as well, as someone mentioned...
I may have missed it, how old is your child? My little guy is 2 1/2. He recently had a splinter too and I was worried about it because I did read somehwere also about the risk of tetanus. I just made sure it bled a little, used hydrogen peroxide and antibiotic cream on it. He won;t wear a bandaid so it was left uncovered.

Anyway, looking forward to more posts on this...