Tetanus

[treemom2]

We've decided not to vax our children because in most cases the risks of the vaccines outway the risks of the diseases in our minds. Now though I have been going back and forth with the tetanus vax. This summer we are going to be staying at a friend's home. They have some animals, currently live in a trailer and are building a house. My friend informed me that there will be nails lying around on the ground. How worried about this should I be?

[lokidoki]

Nails are not carriers of tetanus. There are so many threads here about it...recent ones...just search for them. The bottomline is that if any cut bleeds...tetanus cannot live where oxygen resides...blood=oxygen=kills tetanus. I would still think your chances at tetanus are low. That being said there is a vaccine they can administer at the time (not the tetanus shot) of the cut if it is worrisome.

Tetanus is extremely rare...and more rare in children. With adequate blood supply and cleaning of the wound there should be little chance.

Search this forum though...there are TONS of these posts. Literally tons!

[alegna]

Tetanus has never been a concern for children.

-Angela

[Science Mom]

Originally Posted by lokidoki

Nails are not carriers of tetanus. There are so many threads here about it...recent ones...just search for them. The bottomline is that if any cut bleeds...tetanus cannot live where oxygen resides...blood=oxygen=kills tetanus. I would still think your chances at tetanus are low. That being said there is a vaccine they can administer at the time (not the tetanus shot) of the cut if it is worrisome.

Tetanus is extremely rare...and more rare in children. With adequate blood supply and cleaning of the wound there should be little chance.

Search this forum though...there are TONS of these posts. Literally tons!

I have seen these posts and there is so much misinformation regarding tetanus. Oxygen does not kill tetanus; the presence of oxygen merely won't allow tetanus spores to germinate and produce toxin. If a wound becomes contaminated with tetanus spores and bleeds, this will reduce the chances of germination but is in no way a guarantee as the spores can remain adhered and when an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment is established, the spores can then germinate into the vegetative state and produce toxin. Additionally, the tetanus 'shot' is the vaccine and tetanus immunoglobulin is a post-exposure prophylaxis. Proper wound treatment and subsequent care are also measures many lay people do not know how to administer and can also greatly reduce the chances of a tetanus infection.

SM

[Deborah]

Originally Posted by Science Mom

I have seen these posts and there is so much misinformation regarding tetanus. Oxygen does not kill tetanus; the presence of oxygen merely won't allow tetanus spores to germinate and produce toxin. If a wound becomes contaminated with tetanus spores and bleeds, this will reduce the chances of germination but is in no way a guarantee as the spores can remain adhered and when an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment is established, the spores can then germinate into the vegetative state and produce toxin. Additionally, the tetanus 'shot' is the vaccine and tetanus immunoglobulin is a post-exposure prophylaxis. Proper wound treatment and subsequent care are also measures many lay people do not know how to administer and can also greatly reduce the chances of a tetanus infection.

SM

What I find rather sadly horrific is the fact that doctors in the emergency room recommend the tetanus shot after an injury. If there was truly a danger of tetanus they would recommend the immunoglobulin, so the post injury tetanus is really just opportunistic vaxing.