Tetanus Fear

[DizzyKangaroo]

I'm currently wavering back and forth between how concerned I am about this-- for a few minutes I'll be rational and tell myself I'm probably fine, but then I'll go back to worrying.

Last night, I cut my fourth toe open on a sewing needle that had managed to get itself embedded into the carpet of my living room. The sharp end was poking up at a forty-five degree angle, and as I stepped on it, my toe scraped against it while pulling back and it sliced it open slightly. It was a shallow cut-- nowhere near the bone, but deep enough for there to be a bit of blood.

I have no idea when I had my last tetanus shot. I remember getting one after stepping on a nail when I was five, but I'm not sure if I've had one since then. It's been seventeen years, and I believe the booster lasts ten, so I'm a bit concerned. Again, I rationally know that it's very unlikely that I'll contract tetanus-- I live in the US, and apparently only 31 people per year contract it on average here. I'm still nervous, though, and want to go to the doctor to get a tetanus shot. My family (I still live at home at the moment), however, thinks I'm being paranoid, and that I don't need the shot until the next time I go to the doctor (more to protect me from future injuries than this one). I'd rather avoid drama, so I haven't gone, but I'm still really nervous.

[Magic]

Dizzy, You could enquire at the GPs and explain, I am sure some there could put your mind at rest. I had a needle stuck in my foot once. but it was rusty so I had tetanus injections. Boosters do last ten years-so I am told

[Edie]

It is sensible to keep your tetanus up to date all of the time, and not just after an accident. It's just that for most people, it's only after an accident that anyone thinks to check. Can you get the shot without mentioning it to your family? Or just call your doctor first to check whether it's up to date.

But the main risk of tetanus is from anything that's been in contact with soil. A sewing needle in your carpet is highly unlikely to have come into contact with tetanus. So I think you are safe after this particular incident.

[DizzyKangaroo]

I just called my doctor, and they said they'll have the nurse call me back with my vaccination history. I know I'm probably fine, and that my family's just used to me being convinced I'm dying of SOMETHING, but I don't think I'll fully relax until I get that call! :)

---------- Post added at 11:48 ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 ----------

Well, they called back, and they don't have my vaccination history prior to when I started seeing them last year. I've had a few doctors over the last few years, so it's going to be an adventure to get it sorted out. I'm going to try my best not to panic, as I know it's unlikely that I'll get anything from a sewing needle, even if I don't wind up getting a tetanus shot within that 72-hours-of-injury window.

Easier said than done, of course, but I'll try, at least :P

[Stormsky]

I actually use sewing needles to get splinters out..so use needle to penetrate my skin...like you say it's very unlikely a sewing needle will cause a problem... I'm stuffed if they do !
Rusty nails etc, then yes..that would need tetanus

[DizzyKangaroo]

I swear, I couldn't make this up if I tried--

So, it's been a couple of days and I'd managed to convince myself that I don't have tetanus. Today, as I went for a walk, something sharp pierced through my shoe-- a rusty piece of pipe that was poking out of a crack in the sidewalk, covered by grass. Although my shoe is ruined, it didn't pierce my sock, and after a very thorough examination my foot didn't appear to be pierced either. No blood or broken skin, just redness and soreness.

Now, I know I'm being silly, but tetanus can only spread if the skin is broken, and through deep puncture wounds, right? I don't trust myself to safely Google right now. I can't help but keep imagining that the skin split ever so slightly, that the barely visible scrape there (that I already doused in hydrogen peroxide) is just big enough... even if that were true, the sock would have acted as a barrier, but I can't stop worrying.

Agh. Stupid rusty pipe. Stupid health anxiety.

[Stormsky]

Skin would have to be broken.
You'll be fine.

[DizzyKangaroo]

Thank you, Stormsky. I know that you're probably right! Now the hard part is to just ignore the stinging in my foot and to remind myself that a tiny scrape =/= broken skin! :)

[Stormsky]

If you cannot clearly see any broken skin. ,then you'll be ok

[DizzyKangaroo]

I suppose you're right, Stormsky. My foot's super sore and there's a sharp pain underneath the skin when I press the red spot, but I imagine even if there's a teeeensy opening it wouldn't be large enough for any real damage to be done-- it's certainly not a wound by any means.

As it turns out, I received the vaccinations I needed as a child, but I didn't get the follow-up one as a teenager. I'm going to look into getting up-to-date, and in the meantime I'm trying very hard to tell myself that I really, really didn't contract tetanus today.

[Leah52]

Just get a booster then you don't have to worry for 10 years. ;)

If it helps you feel any better my daughter, who has only had one shot (you need 4 to be immune) got whacked in the head with a pair of tree trimmers a few weeks ago. It looked gross but it healed up nicely and she did not get tetanus. They didn't even think she needed the immunoglobulin for that, they are worried about really dirty, gruesome wounds that aren't properly cared for.

[DizzyKangaroo]

That does make me feel a bit better, Leah! And that's interesting about only needing four shots-- I've actually had five (DTap, I believe), though this all occurred over the course of seventeen to twenty-two years ago. Will still check up next time I'm at the doctor's, though!

[swgrl09]

You can get a quick tetanus booster at a CVS minute clinic if you have any near you! That's what I did. They accept insurance too.