Cut your finger, need a tetanus shot

Written by Liu Huan Huan
General Surgery
Updated on February 27, 2025
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The key is to assess the severity of the finger cut. If it's just a superficial skin scratch, then the wound is shallow, and it only requires disinfection with agents like iodophor or alcohol; there's no need for a tetanus shot. Conversely, if the cut on the finger is deep, such as reaching the subcutaneous fat or, in severe cases, the muscle layer, such deep wounds can easily lead to the growth and reproduction of tetanus bacillus, producing toxins and causing clinical symptoms in patients. Therefore, in such cases, it is recommended that patients go to the hospital to receive a tetanus antitoxin injection.

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Written by Li Chang Yue
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Can a tetanus shot be administered again?

If a tetanus shot is administered within 24 to 48 hours after injury, it can effectively prevent tetanus. However, if the tetanus shot is given a week or more after the injury, the effectiveness and relevance of the booster are generally not ideal. In such cases, tetanus immunoglobulin can be used for comprehensive antibody therapy to treat and prevent tetanus. Therefore, when the body sustains external injuries or certain infectious foci, it is crucial to promptly administer a tetanus shot intramuscularly, ideally within 24 hours, to effectively stimulate the body to produce the corresponding antibodies for protection.

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Is it necessary to get a tetanus shot?

Getting a tetanus shot is very necessary if a patient has had an injury or has wounds on the body. Without a tetanus shot, there might be a risk of tetanus infection. The main reason is due to the presence of tetanus bacillus spores in the natural environment, which could colonize within the wound if it's exposed. This can potentially lead to a tetanus infection. Severe cases can present with symptoms such as opisthotonos, breathing difficulties, suffocation, and could even lead to death. The tetanus shot involves injecting tetanus antitoxin into the patient's body, which is a form of passive immunity and can prevent some symptoms of tetanus infection.

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Can tetanus be cured?

Tetanus has a high mortality rate from infection, but it is not incurable. Even in primitive tribes in Africa, as long as the patient can survive the initial complications such as respiratory muscle spasms leading to suffocation, heart failure, lung infections, etc., they may be lucky to survive. However, in our daily lives today, if we accidentally sustain skin injuries or abrasions, we must not take them lightly and should head to the hospital to follow the doctor's advice. If a tetanus antitoxin injection is needed, it must be administered. Do not neglect it due to inconvenience, as it may lead to severe consequences. The initial symptoms of tetanus might include general weakness, muscle soreness, and spasms of the chewing muscles, which can later lead to severe muscle contractions and forceful spasms throughout the body. The patient remains fully conscious and can painfully experience the disease. Most patients may die from complications such as respiratory muscle spasms, suffocation, heart failure, and lung infections.

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Will a scrape lead to tetanus?

When a tetanus infection occurs, the wound is generally quite deep, for instance, reaching the subcutaneous fat or even the muscle layer in severe cases. Such deep wounds can create an anaerobic environment, which is conducive for the growth and reproduction of Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic bacterium. This bacterium produces exotoxins, primarily the tetanospasmin, which causes the associated clinical symptoms in patients. If it's merely a scrape or a superficial wound, tetanus infection is unlikely. Clinically, what is needed for such abrasions is to disinfect the area with iodine and then bandage it appropriately.

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Where to get a tetanus shot?

Tetanus can be treated in any department, but generally, after an injury, one would first go to the emergency room. Therefore, tetanus is very common in emergency medicine. Tetanus is a type of anaerobic bacterium that is ubiquitous in nature. If a person has a wound that is small and deep, the internal environment can become anaerobic, which easily leads to rapid proliferation of tetanus. At this point, it is necessary to inject tetanus immunoglobulin into such wounds. It is best done within 24 hours because after a long period, the tetanus bacillus might have already proliferated in the wound. A skin test should be performed before the injection, and the injection can only proceed if the skin test is negative. If the wound is relatively large and severe, it generally will not be infected by tetanus bacillus.