What should not be eaten after a tetanus shot?

Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on March 21, 2025
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After a tetanus injection, one should avoid spicy and irritating foods, such as chili peppers, barbecue, and garlic, as these foods may cause inflammatory stimulation and increase the burden on liver function, potentially leading to unnecessary side effects.

Additionally, patients should avoid hard-to-digest foods and primarily consume a light diet, eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, which is beneficial in controlling the condition. Also, alcohol should be avoided after a tetanus vaccination to prevent adverse reactions from drinking.

Tetanus is a severe disease, and there are no specific drugs for its acute episodes, so prevention is crucial, especially for deep tissue burns, where a timely tetanus shot should be administered.

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Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
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How deep is a tetanus wound?

There is no clear boundary concerning how deep a wound needs to be to carry a risk of tetanus; mainly, it depends on whether the conditions allow for anaerobic bacteria to thrive. Particularly, wounds that are very small on the surface but deep can lead to substantial proliferation of tetanus bacilli. A common example is a foot wound caused by stepping on a nail, where the exterior opening of the wound is small, but it is deep inside, and the nail surface may be rusty and also carry a large amount of tetanus bacilli. If the wound is not promptly and thoroughly cleaned, it can lead to massive growth of tetanus bacilli, resulting in the onset of severe illness in the patient.

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Written by Zhang Da Wei
General Surgery
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How long is a tetanus shot effective?

It is definitely better to get a tetanus shot as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours after injury, as the chance of prevention is much higher compared to other times. Once an injury occurs, it is essential to go to a formal hospital for wound treatment, and then use disinfectant products, typically hydrogen peroxide or iodophor, to assist in disinfection. Generally, for open wounds, stitching may be necessary, but such wounds should generally not be bandaged because bandaging can lead to anaerobic bacterial infection. Since the incubation period for Clostridium tetani, the bacterium that causes tetanus, is five to seven days, an infection could potentially develop during this time. Therefore, it is advisable to get vaccinated against tetanus infection within a week. If this timeframe is exceeded, it might impact the effectiveness of the preventative measure, thus rendering it significantly less meaningful.

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Written by Zhang Da Wei
General Surgery
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How long does a tetanus shot last?

The duration of effectiveness for a tetanus shot depends on the specific type of injection used, as different injections vary in their duration of protection. Generally, the protection lasts about two to three days. In cases of infection, it is usually necessary to administer the vaccine within 24 hours. Under these circumstances, a period of about two to three days can be used to clean the wound, thereby achieving the best preventive effect. Additionally, there are other vaccines that are ten to twenty times more effective than this type of vaccine, with a typical prevention time ranging up to 15 days or even about a month. Of course, after receiving the tetanus vaccine, it is important to monitor for any allergic reactions, as different injections may vary in their degree of allergenicity, and individual reactions can differ based on personal health conditions.

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Written by Xu Jun Hui
General Surgery
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Which department should I go to at the hospital for a tetanus shot?

Tetanus shots should be administered at a regular hospital in the emergency department. There are two types of tetanus injections: one that requires a skin test, called tetanus toxoid, and one that doesn't require a skin test, called tetanus immunoglobulin. It is generally recommended to get the tetanus shot within 24 hours of injury, and it is best to avoid alcohol before the injection. Drinking can cause dilation and reddening of the skin's capillaries, which can affect the results of the tetanus skin test. Tetanus is usually caused by the invasion of Clostridium tetani into the body, a type of anaerobic bacterium. Thus, for wounds that are small, deep, and heavily contaminated, such as with dirt, rust, or in cases of open fractures, anti-tetanus treatment is essential, and a tetanus shot can be administered in the hospital's emergency department.

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Written by Gao Sen
General Surgery
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Tetanus 0.1ml how many units

In general, the dose of tetanus toxoid is 1500 international units per dose, approximately 1 ml per dose, and generally about 150 international units per 0.1 ml, which can be referred to the instructions. The use of tetanus toxoid should be avoided blindly and should be administered under the guidance of a physician. Additionally, wound cleaning and disinfection should be performed before administering tetanus toxoid. Furthermore, anti-infection treatment should be considered based on the contamination of the wound.