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honeyhiker
Sep 16, 2004, 1:11 AM
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Just thought I'd share my recent wake up call about being current on your tetanus. My boyfriend and I were wire brushing a boulder and lucky me managed to pierce a wire bristle straight through my finger. Had to remove it with the ole leatherman pliers. Pretty freaky but didn't really hurt. Since I couldn't remember when my last tetanus shot was I had to bite the bullet and get one. Found out you need it for both rust and dirt which I had no idea. Amazing, the shot hurt for days but the finger never bled or got infected. I just wanted to mention since climbers are always gouging, scraping, cutting, etc their hands and stuff so its a good idea to keep current on the shot.
Chris
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limey
Sep 16, 2004, 2:29 AM
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The nice thing about getting the t. shot is that it gives you the white card to play with rusty nails and wires for the next 10yrs too! Pretty darn effective immunization, eh?
With regards to the soreness after the shot...just try and work that muscle lots to get the blood circulating alot through it. This helps dissipate the injection more quickly. (Although my experience was that it was still a little tender for about 3 days).
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e_free
Sep 16, 2004, 6:57 AM
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Registered: Sep 12, 2004
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We in the med field update our tetnus every 5 years, and have been known to get boosters when incidents of possibe exposure occur within one year or so f another booster being due (read: I stepped on a wire barefoot)... just an FYI.
be NICE your body when you arent beating the crap out of it climbing a rock :wink:
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hardrock_chik
Sep 20, 2004, 1:38 PM
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Registered: Aug 10, 2004
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Uh oh....
well then i might be stuffed. I was going to the milkbar with a friend after climbing and we had to jump 3 fences to get there the quick way. I sliced me knee all the way across on a wire fence (unsure if rusty) and just left it until I got back and had a bandage over it. The cuts now healed up.
What is tetanus anyway?
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honeyhiker
Sep 20, 2004, 6:48 PM
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Tetanus, commonly called lockjaw, is a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system. It is contracted through a cut or wound that becomes contaminated with tetanus bacteria. The bacteria can get in through even a tiny pinprick or scratch, but deep puncture wounds or cuts like those made by nails or knives are especially susceptible to infection with tetanus. Tetanus bacteria are present worldwide and are commonly found in soil, dust and manure. Infection with tetanus causes severe muscle spasms, leading to "locking" of the jaw so the patient cannot open his/her mouth or swallow, and may even lead to death by suffocation.
http://www.nfid.org/...ts/tetanusadult.html
Hardrock_chik, if you haven't had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years you definitely should have gotten one to be on the safe side but it sounds like it happened awhile ago so maybe you're fine at this point. Check out the web site for more info.
Chris
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hardrock_chik
Sep 21, 2004, 1:26 AM
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Thanks honeyhiker, I hope I don't get tetanus!! :P I think I ahd a shot when i was 5, and im 14 now so hopefully I'll be fine.
I have to get one in a few months anyway (visiting China! wow sooo excited)
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