What should I do if my feet are pricked by rusty nails?

Accidentally stepping on rusty nails, on the one hand, the wound may be polluted by dust with bacteria in rust, on the other hand, the anoxic environment deep in the wound is conducive to the germination of tetanus spores. Therefore, it is recommended to go to the hospital for active treatment to avoid unnecessary trouble.

In the hospital, the first thing is to carry out thorough surgical debridement of the wound to avoid the anoxic environment needed for the growth of Clostridium tetanus. Then in order to further reduce the risk of tetanus, it is necessary to consider whether to have an injection.

People often say that there are actually two kinds of tetanus shots:

One is tetanus toxoid, which is a tetanus vaccine made of antigen;

The second is immunoglobulin, which is an antibody. According to different sources, it can be divided into tetanus antitoxin (TAT) and tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG).

When not injured:

The best way to prevent tetanus is vaccination, and the immune protection period is as long as 10 years.

Vaccination acts on the immune system of the body through antigens, and the body will produce corresponding antibodies to neutralize neurotoxins secreted by bacteria, thus protecting the nervous system and avoiding diseases. After three or more doses of tetanus vaccine for three consecutive months, almost all people can produce enough antibodies, and the immune protection period can be as long as 10 years.

How to prevent after injury?

1. Vaccine protection period: If the wound is shallow, small and clean, and there is no foreign body embedded in the meat, there is no need to inject after debridement; When the wound is large, deep and seriously polluted, tetanus toxoid (vaccine) 1 injection can be strengthened to quickly improve the antibody level in the body.

2. Beyond the vaccine protection period: If the last booster immunization was 10 years ago, it is recommended to strengthen the injection of 1 needle vaccine to provide long-term protection, regardless of the wound condition.

3. Not vaccinated: If you have not been vaccinated with tetanus vaccine, the vaccination is incomplete or you can't remember the vaccination time. When the wound is shallow, tetanus is unlikely to occur. Tetanus vaccine should be injected continuously for three months to promote the body to produce protective antibodies, and then it is recommended to strengthen replanting every 10 year. If the wound belongs to the high-risk type of tetanus mentioned above, it needs immediate injection of TAT or TIG for short-term rapid protection, and regular injection of tetanus vaccine for long-term protection.

Not all wounds need to go to the hospital for tetanus shots at once. Whether an injection is needed or not should be comprehensively judged according to the patient's own immunity and wound type. If there are enough protective antibodies, no amount of antibodies can provide much help.

It is not advisable to go to the hospital for immunoglobulin immediately after your foot was pricked by a nail and your hand was cut by a knife. It is a waste of medical resources, and the potential adverse reactions caused by TAT injection should not be underestimated. Of course, we should not neglect the debridement of the wound because of vaccination or antibody, thus delaying the illness.