Punctured foot with industrial staple - Pregnant

[ltlmrs]

I just accidentally stepped on an industrial sized staple and it punctured my foot. It didn't go very deep and I washed the wound with alcohol and it stopped bleeding. The staple wasn't rusty or anything and it was indoors. Should I be worried?

[onetrumpeter]

I personally would not be worried at all. I'm not pregnant, though, so don't have those particular hormones directing my worry I think if it bled some that would help clean it out, and probably your alcohol did well with it, too. I think tetanus(sp?) is a concern with anaerobic conditions, but yours doesn't sound that deep. maybe put some raw honey on it? this is something I read about recently, though I doubt you'd have the ingredients on hand (I don't!): http://frugalgranola.com/2009/11/nat...peoples-paste/ hope your mind is at ease about it and you feel better soon!

[tracymom1]

Puncture wounds just need a good irrigation and some antiseptic - tea tree oil would probably be fine. Keep the area clean - wear a bandage on your foot until the healing process is well under way. The only medical concerns with a puncture wound caused by a metal object are infection, bits of the item being left in the wound or tetanus. Tetanus is a huge longshot - I wouldn't worry about that at all. Unless part of the staple broke off in your foot, you should be just fine with a good cleaning.

[ltlmrs]

Good! I wasn't inclined to worry too much but things are always funny with pregnancy brain

Thanks!

[Llyra]

The incidence of tetanus in this country is extremely low, and cases these days are almost always associated with exposure to animal manure-- like rusty nails in old barns, for instance. The chances of a staple, which has been indoors and is not particularly dirty, carrying tetanus-- I'd say they're virtually nil. If it were me, I'd clean it out well, keep it covered, and be vigilant for signs of infection at the site, the way I would with any wound.

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Tetanus

If you have been injured outside or in any way that makes contact with soil likely, contact your health care provider regarding the possible risk for tetanus.

Many people believe injuries caused by rusty nails are the most dangerous. This is true only if the nail is dirty as well as rusty, as is usually the case. It is the dirt on the nail, not the rust, that carries the risk for tetanus.