Most common questions used to investigate
Are your tetanus vaccinations up-to-date?
Do you have a deep wound?
Can you get an appointment with your doctor?
Do you know what are tetanus-prone wounds?
Do you have a nail puncture?
Do you know the vaccination schedules of tetanus?
Common conclusions
If your tetanus vaccines are not up-to-date, you open the room for more serious injuries and infections, hence you need a tetanus jab at the earliest. It's important to note that tetanus infections are a serious condition and can prove to be fatal if not treated. To avoid this condition, you should keep your tetanus vaccines up to date.
When you have a deep wound and possibly even a foreign object or some dirt in it,
It is best you talk to your doctor or even visit the clinic to evaluate your wound. Based on it, your doctor can decide if you need a tetanus injection or not. Instead of you contemplating and evaluating, let a professional make this decision for you.
Public Health England defines a set of wounds as tetanus-prone wounds and if you have any of it, taking a tetanus injection is a must. Wounds that fall in this category are burns and wounds that need surgery but can't be done within the next 24 hours, wounds where a substantial amount of tissue has been removed, animal bites, wounds that have come in contact with soil or manure, wounds caused due to a cut in rusted metals, and wounds in people who have systemic sepsis. In all these cases, you need a tetanus injection as not putting it can cause tetanus.
If you have a nail puncture and if it looks minor, you don't need a tetanus. On the other hand, if the wound is deep or if you see any dirt or foreign object, it requires a visit to the doctor and possibly a tetanus injection to go with it. Also, if you have not taken a tetanus injection in the last five years and have deep wounds, you sure need one.
DTap or Tdap are vaccinations for tetanus and they are given to infants in four doses, typically at the age of two, four, six, and 15-18 months of age. Another dose is given around the age of four to six years, and the last one is given around 11-12 years of age. After that, you're expected to take a booster shot once every five or ten years to avoid tetanus. If you haven't had this injection in this schedule, you should take an injection.
Check how long it's been since you took one and if it is more than five years, make sure you take a shot right away to protect yourself from this condition.
References
Related Problems
