time sensitive tetanus situation

PullingPins

PullingPins

Padawan Learner
I'm not really sure where to put this, or what to say.
Last night, my daughter cut half of her toe off in some freak accident, and I'm still not really sure how it happened. We think she may have cut it on the air vent on her wall.
But, here I am in the hospital with my poor toddler, and they're pretty hellbent on giving her a tetanus shot. She doesn't have any vaccines, and I'm not in support of them at all, but I realize that her getting tetanus would be absolutely awful for her. In researching in the little time I've had, here's what I found. I know I'm pretty new here, but I'm scared to death for her, and would like some input if anyone has any experience or anything at all:

*tetanus can't survive well in an oxygenated place, so the fact that her toe was bleeding a good amount means it's not likely that tetanus could develop.
*magnesium chloride is a possible alternative to tetanus prevention
*giving the shot after getting the wound is possibly ineffective.

I'm so torn. My gut feeling is not to get the tetanus, but I don't know if that's wildly irresponsible, and I would really appreciate anything right now.
 
Well, if they're insistent about giving her the shot, just make sure it is just the tetanus booster and not the whole DPT shot, which shouldn't be necessary in this case. They should be able to provide a single booster shot for tetanus. Ask to see the vaccine manufacture inserts before they give her anything.

Not being a medical professional I don't feel comfortable giving you advise on whether or not your daughter should receive the vaccine or not. Hopefully somebody with more experience in this area will chime in.

This sounds like a horrible ordeal though! :scared: I hope the doctors can do something for your daughter's poor toe.

Take care! :flowers:
 
My understanding (quite limited) is that the nature of the wound has a lot to do with the possibility of tetanus infection. Once I stepped on a big ole rusty nail in a box from a third world country, I had no problem getting the shot and understood. Had I stepped on an unused clean nail, I may have reconsidered, knowing what I know today.

Google has a lot to say on the subject (I searched for tetanus shot controversy), here are a couple top links, for what they're worth:
_http://www.vaclib.org/links/tetanusindex.htm
_http://books.google.com/books?id=ViexJgBVZksC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=tetanus+shot+controversy&source=bl&ots=5gfTIabhIA&sig=ywOzSR9m7TJZQQJrFG0y1y3ko8o&hl=en&ei=N48lTvbMDsLiiAKKuNX4CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I also do not feel comfortable advising a course of action, but if it were me I would base my decision on the circumstances of the injury (was it a dirty outdoor injury, more likely to cause infection, or a cleaner indoors cut, so to speak).

Either way, it is a big decision, and I feel for you PullingPins. I hope everything works out, and your daughter heals up quickly!
 
Thanks so much for replying, both of you.
RyanX, I forgot to mention that they said they can't just give the tetanus, the diphtheria has to come with it- I'm guessing it's just the only thing they have available. Which makes me even more nervous. Is there any specific reason you said to make sure not to give the whole thing, other than just accumulation of ingredients?
Jason, I understand, and agree with you that there is a time and a place for everything. And if she had stepped on a rusty nail laying in a cowpie, I think I would be leaning more towards getting the shot. But, I suspect it to be an airvent inside the house, which is coated or painted, and not rusty (at least as far as I can tell).
This decision was so much easier when she was just born, and not injured, that's for sure.
 
PullingPins said:
Thanks so much for replying, both of you.
RyanX, I forgot to mention that they said they can't just give the tetanus, the diphtheria has to come with it- I'm guessing it's just the only thing they have available. Which makes me even more nervous. Is there any specific reason you said to make sure not to give the whole thing, other than just accumulation of ingredients?
Click to expand...

After reading some of the excerpts of this book:

A Shot in the Dark

http://www.amazon.com/Shot-Dark-H-Coulter/dp/089529463X

I have this one sitting on my bookshelf at home, and I've only read parts of it, FWIW. But based on what I have read so far, the DPT vaccine sounds like a real nasty shot.

Googling around a bit, I see now that they no longer make the single tetanus booster shot anymore and the older vaccines all have mercury in them anyways. :(

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/health/tetanus.html
 
Don't do it. there are a hundred other reasons not to get vaccines (as I'm sure you've looked into).

There was no poop and no rust - and as you said, after the fact doesn't help - so don't do it!

Read here, if it's already been done:

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=443.msg105964
 
Hopefully those on the forum with experience with toddlers can correct if this is not useful, but instead of a tetanus shot, why not use a gauze to gently apply 40% DMSO solution around the toe to help it heal and fight off viruses/bacteria/etc. Maybe do this once a day for a few days? Also, what about adding something like 1 gram of vitamin C mixed into the baby's drink, and spread this 1g over a day's worth of drinking, also for a few days? Sorry to hear about the accident, hopefully she heals right up with minimal or no scarring. :flowers:
 
So, they decided not to take the toe because she's so young and kids have such potential for healing. So, they casted it instead, which I'm just ecstatic about. It was hard enough seeing her sedated so they could clean and stitch the thing up! I'm happy to say she's playing and talking, and hobbling around just fabulously.
So, because of the cast I can't apply the DMSO, but at least it's covered so there's no chance of anything else infecting it. We'll definitely do the Vitamin C, though, and look more into the magnesium chloride.
We have decided not to get the vaccine, and I'm really relieved that her dad was ok with this after researching with me.
Thanks so much for all of the support, it's very very very much appreciated!
 
Hi PullingPins,

I agree with most others and yourself about not taking the vaccine. I think it is way over hyped, and not necessary in most cases. Just as a precautionary, simply keep an eye above the bandage and if you see any red streaks going up her leg, then take her back and they CAN administer it then.

A woman I use to work with stabbed her hand with a rusted metal, a small wound so no big deal. Within the next few days she noticed a red streak running up her arm, she went to the hospital and got the shots, and was fine.
 
PullingPins said:
So, they decided not to take the toe because she's so young and kids have such potential for healing. So, they casted it instead, which I'm just ecstatic about. It was hard enough seeing her sedated so they could clean and stitch the thing up! I'm happy to say she's playing and talking, and hobbling around just fabulously.
So, because of the cast I can't apply the DMSO, but at least it's covered so there's no chance of anything else infecting it. We'll definitely do the Vitamin C, though, and look more into the magnesium chloride.
We have decided not to get the vaccine, and I'm really relieved that her dad was ok with this after researching with me.
Thanks so much for all of the support, it's very very very much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Glad everything worked out okay for your daughter, PullingPins. :) Hopefully there will be no complications.
 
Hi PullingPins,

Happy to hear things are stabilized. About the magnesium chloride, be careful not to spray it on a wound, because that can cause quite an intense and painful burning sensation. After you've done your research into magnesium, perhaps you can think about getting the powder form (for internal use), magnesium citrate for example.
You can always ask if you're not certain about anything, just saying!

Take care!
 
Googling around a bit, I see now that they no longer make the single tetanus booster shot anymore and the older vaccines all have mercury in them anyways. :(
Click to expand...

Not to disagree that these were your research findings, but I find this hard to believe as many adults in outdoor, farming, construction work, are often sent for tetanus shots and it seems unlikely that they would be subject to pertussis and diphtheria too.

Red streaks up the limb from a wound are signs of serious bacterial infection of some kind; it may or may not be tetanus, but it may get into the blood stream and cause serious illness. Best to get professional help for this symptom.
shellycheval
 
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