Risk groups The risk of death from tetanus is highest among people 60 years of age or older. Diabetes, a history of immunosuppression, and intravenous drug use may be risk factors for tetanus.
About 30 people in the U.S get tetanus annually, and one or two out of 10 cases can be fatal. Tetanus-associated deaths almost always occur among unvaccinated people, or those with incomplete or unknown vaccination history.
Babies and children younger than 7 years old receive DTaP or DT, while older children and adults receive Tdap and Td. CDC recommends tetanus vaccination for all babies and children, preteens and teens, and adults. Talk with your or your child's doctor if you have questions about tetanus vaccines.
You may need a tetanus vaccine if the injury has broken your skin and your tetanus vaccinations are not up to date. Tetanus is a serious but rare condition that can be fatal if untreated. The bacteria that can cause tetanus can enter your body through a wound or cut in your skin. They're often found in soil and manure.
Tetanus is rare in Australia because of high vaccination coverage. It occurs in people of any age, but mainly in older adults who have never been vaccinated or were vaccinated more than 10 years ago. The case-fatality rate in Australia is about 2%.
“It's uncommon in the United States—there are about 30 reported cases each year. But nearly all those cases were in people who weren't vaccinated.” Other tetanus risk factors—besides being unvaccinated—include: A foreign object in a wound, such as a splinter or a nail.
Symptoms of tetanus may not begin to appear until a week after the injury, so as a rule of thumb, try to get the tetanus booster shot within 48 hours of the injury.
If the injured person hasn't had a tetanus shot in the past five years and the wound is deep or dirty, your doctor may recommend a booster. The injured person should have the booster shot within 48 hours of the injury.
To decide if you need a tetanus shot, first decide if the object that caused the wound was clean or dirty. If an object is dirty, it will have dirt, soil, spit, or feces on it. You will need a tetanus shot if: Your wound was caused by something that was dirty, and you haven't had a tetanus shot in over five years.
Interestingly the primary site of entry of the infection, as in this case, might be quite superficial and the wound might have healed at the time of tetanus development.
When to see a doctor. Tetanus is a life-threatening disease. If you have signs or symptoms of tetanus, seek emergency care. If you have a simple, clean wound — and you've had a tetanus shot within 10 years — you can care for your wound at home.
Careful cleaning of wounds, both deep and superficial, can substantially decrease the risk of tetanus.
What does tetanus look like on the skin? Tetanus infections do not cause a rash and the wound will not show signs of tetanus. The first symptoms can take days, weeks, or even months to appear and usually start at the jaw. From the outside, tetanus may look like muscle tightness in the jaw, neck, and face.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that causes muscle spasms and breathing problems. Tetanus is uncommon in Australia because of the widespread use of the tetanus vaccine.
Tetanus is sometimes found in dust and animal faeces. Infection may occur after minor injury (sometimes unnoticed punctures to the skin that are contaminated with soil, dust or manure) or after major injuries such as open fractures, dirty or deep penetrating wounds, and burns.
Today the majority of new cases of tetanus occur in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. As the chart shows, these two regions account for 82% of all tetanus cases globally. Similarly, 77% of all deaths from tetanus, 29,500 lives lost, occur in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The likelihood of tetanus is greatest following deep, dirty puncture wounds where there is little bleeding and an absence of oxygen. But tetanus has occurred following other injuries such as burns, scratches, and slivers.
*Such as, but not limited to, wounds contaminated with dirt, feces, soil, and saliva; puncture wounds; avulsions; and wounds resulting from missiles, crushing, burns, and frostbite.
Other ways tetanus gets into your body
Tetanus bacteria can also infect someone's body through breaks in the skin caused by: Clean superficial wounds (when only the topmost layer of skin is scraped off) Surgical procedures. Insect bites.
As with any vaccine or medicine, there is a very small chance of a tetanus shot causing a severe allergic reaction or other serious reaction. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness or weakness.
Go to your local emergency room in Cibolo or call 911 right away if: Blood is spurting out. The cut is jagged or gapping and is deeper than ¼ inch. There is severe bleeding.
Wounds that may require emergency medical care include:
Those that will not stop bleeding after a few minutes of applying direct pressure. Deep, gaping, jagged or potentially disfiguring cuts, to avoid the formation of scar tissue. Long or deep cuts that need stitches. Cuts over a joint.