gmoneyhobbit

i work construction occasionally.. and the other day we were doing a dump run.. we were bailling a bunch of wood(an old fence) it had been sitting there a few months.. was pretty torn apart..

while bailing some boards i was stuck by a nail.. which was covered in mud and was pretty rusted.. i didnt think anything of it... well i was a i little worried. i didnt end up cleaning it for a few hours..

now the cut hurts almost all the time... it doesnt seem to look infected. however, today i started getting a stiff jaw.

im not sure of any syptoms of tetanus, and i feel that i dont have it... but i cant be too sure, i dont have med. insurance.

i am worried..

what should i do, are there any doc.s online that could help with this

oh yeh sorry for the non bike related subject, but this is really the only forum i kno of

Machka 

GO TO A DOCTOR!


Was your last tetanus shot within the last 10 years?


(My last one was in June 1997 ... on a day I remember well!)

edzo

you don't need online help

you need immediate care in case there is a problem
hours count, not days. hurry up !


umm...go to a hospital immediately and have it looked at

some infections (not tet) simply rage fast and can ruin your life


have it checked out NOW

Az B

Tetanus usually starts with a stiff neck rather than going straight to a stiff and sore jaw.

But go get it looked at, and get a freakin' tetanus shot. Even if you don't have insurance, they're only like $10 at the clinic and they last a decade.

Az

gmoneyhobbit

i dont kno what to do.. what if i dont have it.. the med. center here is a 12hr. wait i have work tomorrow and a race sunday..

what did i get myself into

CdCf

Rusty nails aren't more of a risk than anything else you can cause deep punctures with, by the way, but do go see a doctor if you feel ill.

supcom

When you work for an employer, the employer is supposed to have workman's comp insurance to cover injuries on the job. Workman's comp would pay the full cost of medical treatment for your injury. Not knowing your specific situation, I certainly cannot say whether you are covered, but if so, you should have (and still could) report the injury to the company and get treatment since your injury was certainly on the job.

If you were hired off the street as a day laborer for cash (no paperwork) or are an "independant contractor" your situation may be a bit more tenuous. However, an employer who does not have workman's comp insurance would be subject to fines and possible shutdown.

Assuming worman's comp is not an option:

You can go to a regular doctor, pay cash and rest easy.
You can go to the clinic, wait 12 hours and rest easy.
You can do nothing, hope for the best, lose sleep worrying, and race poorly.

edzo

gee the worse that can happen is the dreaded
necrotic infections that start out just like you got nicked,
and then it is sore a little, and 2 days later they
are amputating limbs and chest muscle so you don't
die. it is rare, but it does happen.

so...hey man whatever...

always always always when you get cut you should

a) bleed it and clean it
b) if it doesn't bleed, dig into it with a scalpel until you are sure it is clean
and bleed it
c) get a tet shot if you are out of time on the last one
d) if any pain (not at the wound), soreness, fatigue sets in,
see doctor immediately for antibiotic regimen.

KrisPistofferson

Reasons this must be a troll:

1. OP has had an accident that is a textbook example of the type of injury one sustains to get tetanus.

2. OP has also apparently exibhited some of the symptoms of tetanus, and/or a serious infection.

3. OP wants to argue with well-meaning posters who tell him "TURN OFF THE ****ING COMPUTER AND GO SEE A DOCTOR, TETANUS IS A FATAL DISEASE, YOU IMBECILE!" (Well, maybe not in those words, but you get the picture.)

This is a classic example of a "MERTON-style" troll.

gmoneyhobbit

im nothing like merton...