Kitchen Garden Forum

A week ago I managed to get a small splinter into the tip of one of my fingers. Nothing large, just the tip of a hawthorn thorn. I managed to get most of the thorn out straight way but any one who knows hawthorn thorns knows they have an annoying habit of breaking and leaving the tip of the thorn embedded under the skin surface.

With time they normally work themselves out but not this time and I get fed up so on Saturday I set to work excavating the thorn with a sterile needle as it was hurting every time I used that finger to pick anything up.

Come Sunday night the finger in question had swollen up considerably and was very tender to the touch, this morning swelling worse and throbbing pain through out hand so trip to the Doctor was in order.

Now on antibiotics to reduce the infection and the possibility of blood poisoning.

Tetanus jabs would have no impact in this but it is a very very good idea to be up to date. Luckily my Tetanus jabs are always up to date as working on the farm you always get nicks and cuts.

Last jab was last summer after crushing my foot under a trailer drawbar and breaking numerous bones and needing a fair number of stitches. Talking to the doctor in A&E, she recommended anyone working in a “dirty” environment likely to get cut should have a booster at least every five years or 3 preferably.

And to make things safer wear gloves, personally I prefer not to unless working with very prickly/spiky plants. But I think I may change my mind on that point now!

Take care out there!

Jerry

omg thats ashame i hope you are better soon

Jerry, I have a tetanus every 10 years (it used to be 5 years) and have been told that's all I need and all that's recommended. Would having one every 3 years make a difference? If the 10 year jab is good enough, why have more? I'm needle phobic so personally one every 10 years is more than enough, but if it's something I NEED then I'll do it.

I heartily agree with Jerry,

A work colleague of mine was a maintenance Electrician. I say was because now he drives a forklift as you need two hands to be an electician. A keen gardener, he like Jerry pricked his thumb but on a rose bush in his case. Infection set in and within 48 hours his arm was amputated above the elbow.

His Tetanus jabs were up to date due to the nature of his work but alas this was a nasty case of septecaemia and he was lucky to just loose his arm.

If you do get a splinter or cut yourself be aware of any swelling, redness or pain beyond or above what you would expect to be normal. Do go to your doctor if in doubt as these infections can strike you down very quickly.

Chantal

10 years was the time span I was always told was fine, though I have always gone for a booster at 5 years as a matter of course. Then last summer I messed up my foot, about 4 tonnes of draw bar dropping on my foot when I was only wearing light shoes. I had a long conversation with the A&E consultant as she stitched it all back together (she was a farmers daughter so knew all about farmers sons!!!!!) She honestly thought 3 years for a "dirty" environment was valid.

As such I have it marked in my diary and will stick to it.

Jerry
(Now the next question is why do that make antibiotic tablets so damned big!!!!!!)

It's amazing the difference in advice between difference Drs.

For 13yrs I worked as a QVN [qualified veterinary nurse] and every time I was bitten by a cat or dog etc had to be checked and tetanus jabbed. The last occasion of being bitten resulted in me going to the Drs and being told that after the 6 jabs I had had I would not need any further jabs in my lifetime as my body would have built up an immunity.

Ooh Jerry, that sounds awful!
You sound like you really get in the wars!
I think i'll be wearing my gloves from now on! (I don't usually as i rather like getting grubby!
Take care
Jo

I'm in the fortunate position of having natural immunity to tetanus, which I found out when I thought I'd better get my tetanus up to date. I reacted so violently to the jab, with a swollen arm, that the doctor offered me a lighter dose for the follow up but said that in his opinion it was a waste of time. I'm hoping that it runs in families and that I've passed it on to some of my children. My daughter has TB natural immunity gained from her grandmother and boosted by visits to Africa.

Oh, that's all really scary, a friend of my dad's years ago got lockjaw after pricking himself on a rosebush in his London garden, he died.
I am garding in a new area this year and I know I should be doing something about tetanus jabs, but keep thinking - yeah ok tomorrow. Well I'm going to ring the doctors right now! What a good site this is - it could even be saving lives!
Polly.

Well, done it. I have an appointment for tomorrow afternoon for a jab! Thanks for the push!
Polly

There must be something about rose bushes! I heard of a lady who died after pricking herself on a rose thorn. I always wear leather gloves when gardening but now I'm thinking I should get a tetanus top up too! Does anyone know if you have to pay or if they're free on the NHS? Do I just go down my GP's?

They're free at my GP's.

Yes, they're free. I just rang and said I need a jab and they made me an appointment for tomorrow to see and nurse and they confirmed there is no charge for tetanus. If in any doubt, go for it - what's to lose?
Polly.

I think they might even be one of the ones you GP gets paid for. Certainly when we registered at ours they checked to see that we were up to date and made my OH (who wasn't) have tetanus and polio innoculations.

Probably not entirely relevant to tetanus but I read on BBC news online today that a man died after being scratched by a cat. The coroner said it would be unfair to put all the blame on the cat but that the infection had certainly entered through the wound.