June 28, 2014General Health and Wellness, Infectious Disease, Orthopedics/Bonestetanus, 844-SMA-TALK, Cellulitis, osteomyelitis, puncture wound, Sterling Medical Advice, SterlingMedicalAdvice.com, Straight No ChaserJeffrey Sterling, MD
What would you do if you stepped on a nail? What if the nail was rusty? Does it make a difference if you were wearing shoes? Is stepping on a nail dangerous? Why does everyone pronounce tetanus “teknus?” For the answers to these questions (well maybe not the last one) and more, read the rest of this
It’s an interesting thing that so many nails are allowed to stay on the ground until they become rusty. One would think either they’d be picked up or that you wouldn’t be walking around barefooted in unknown areas. We’ve discussed puncture wounds previously, and stepping on a nail is an example of a puncture wound. However, there are some important considerations that make it worthwhile to discuss.
Does Stepping On A Rusty Nail Cause Tetanus?
Assuming the nail isn’t stuck in your feet, clean your foot vigorously. If the nail is superficially struck in your foot, it’s likely you will have reflexively yanked it out. That’s ok as long as the wound isn’t significantly bleeding at the time.
It’s prudent that you call your physician for next instructions, but in most cases you’ll be directed to come to the emergency room.
These are significant wounds, especially if rubber soles are involved, and they may even require surgery to clean the area. In some instances (especially when you have certain risk factors) skin ulcerations (breakdown of the skin) can occur, making severe infection more likely. In some of these instances, foot amputation is necessary.
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In addition to wearing rubber-soled shoes at the time of the injury, these other conditions place you at risk for a worse outcome.
The infections associated with nail-induced puncture wounds are potentially serious and hard to treat. Patients sometimes end up hospitalized with weeks and sometimes months of treatment with antibiotics.
In case you think the take home message is it’s better not to wear shoes or sandals when walking through the house, grass or sand, you’re partially correct. My best advice to you is look before you weep.
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Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.Though they're indispensable to any construction project, nails are so dangerous that it's a wonder that you don't need a permit to buy them at the hardware store. When trying to hammer a nail into its final destination, the risk of hammering a thumb instead is extremely high. Using a nail gun to place the nails isn't any safer; a simple Internet search will procure gruesome stories of nail gun-related injuries. And even when you're safely ensconced within your automobile, a nail can still produce danger and frustration in the form of a flat tire. But to many people, there is no nail more dangerous than the fabled rusty nail. Legend has it that stepping on a rusty nail will cause tetanus.
Tetanus is also known as lockjaw because one of the first symptoms is muscle contraction in the area around the mouth, which leaves the mouth rigidly frozen. Those muscle contractions can spread throughout the body, sometimes resulting in spasms so intense that they cause fractures [source: Brody]. Spasms can also result in difficulty swallowing or breathing, and other symptoms of the condition include drooling, irritability, fever and sweating. These symptoms usually start to appear one week after infection, though they may appear as soon as a few days after, or even a few weeks after infection. Without treatment, one out of three people die from tetanus [source: Medline Plus].
A tetanus vaccine is part of a standard vaccination regime for infants, but its effects can wear off over time. For that reason, adults are urged to get a booster vaccine every 10 years. Because many people stop getting these vaccines as the years go by, older people make up 70 percent of reported cases of tetanus [source: Brody]. But is a rusty nail the culprit? If so, why? And if not, what causes tetanus?
Things Adults Should Know About Tetanus
The old wives' tale is true -- stepping on a rusty nail has the potential to cause tetanus. But so can a perfectly clean nail, a sewing needle or a scratch from an animal.
Tetanus is caused by bacteria known as Clostridium tetani, which is commonly found in soil, dust and animal feces. Because of its presence in soil and manure, gardeners and others who work in agriculture are particularly at risk for exposure to this bacteria; indeed, some farmers may even have it on their skin. But city-dwellers aren't completely safe -- a dusty sidewalk or street may harbor just as many bacteria.
In the soil or on the skin, C. tetani isn't dangerous, because it can only reproduce in an oxygen-deprived setting. A puncture wound, such as one that might occur from stepping on a nail, can provide that breeding ground. Within the wound, C. tetani releases a neurotoxin known as tetanospasmin, which may be the second most powerful toxin after botulinum [source: Krasner]. It takes only a small amount of tetanospasmin, which causes tetanus's signature muscle contractions and spasms by affecting the nerves, to do the trick.
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Rust is not in and of itself a C. tetani carrier; rather, the thinking goes that if the nail has been outside long enough to get rusty, then it's probably been exposed to soils containing the bacteria. The crevices of the rust give the soil a place to hide, and the deep puncture wound gives the C. tetani a place to do its work. Any injury related to puncture is reason for concern, though, no matter how clean the piercing object seemed to be. That includes gunshot wounds and knife stabbings.
But while deep wounds best provide that environment, don't shrug off surface injuries. Every injury, from sewing needle and gardening tool mishaps to animal bites and scratches, carries with it the potential for tetanus. People who perform their own tattooing or piercing are at risk, as are intravenous drug users.
If you do step on a rusty nail or suffer a similar injury, bear in mind that the spores of C. tetani are resistant to antiseptics that are used to clean wounds. You'll have to head to the hospital for an antitoxin known as tetanus immune globulin. The antitoxin must be administered soon after the injury as it can only attack circulating toxins, not the tetanospasmin which may have already attached itself to a nerve ending. Those who don't seek treatment face the risk of their entire body freezing up; the rigorous treatment regimen includes sedatives, muscle relaxers, days spent in a nonstimulating environment (which gives the nervous system time to recuperate) and possibly even surgery.
Tifu By Stepping On A Rusty Nail For Months
Getting injured by a rusty nail won’t give you tetanus unless the nail contains germs and dirt that hide tetanus bacteria on its surface. It’s the bacteria causes tetanus, not the rust.
No. The spores of C. tetani are resistant to antiseptics that are used to clean wounds. You'll have to head to the hospital for an antitoxin known as tetanus immune globulin.
Tetanus can have adverse effects on your breathing and may damage your respiratory muscles. This can even lead to death due to suffocation. Causes of a tetanus infection include skin and crush injuries, animal bites, burns and punctures.
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From exposure to illness, tetanus can take around 3 to 21 days to set in. An average time period is approximately 10 days. However, the incubation period may last for several days and even months. That’s why tetanus demands immediate treatment to prevent further disease spread.
Tetanus shouldn’t be taken lightly as it can be dangerous. Some common symptoms of tetanus include headache, cramping of jaws, muscle spasms in the stomach, difficulty in swallowing, excessive sweating or fever, shooting blood pressure and seizures.Yikes. You just stepped on a nail. Worse yet. A really rusty nail. What would all that rust do to your body? How long would you have before an infection kicked in? And how could this one rusty nail lead to your death?
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. And yet, the smallest incision or puncture to it opens up the floodgates to all the bacteria in the outside world. That exposes you to health risks and infections. Stepping on a nail would result in a wound that is deeper and narrower than a regular scrape or cut.
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This means you are at a higher risk of infection, but the damage is usually considered minor and easily treatable at home. But if the nail is coated in a reddish-brown or orange-brown color, it means it’s covered in rust. The chemical reaction between iron and moisture from air or water. So how does rust make this painful accident even worse?
The first thing you need to do after stepping on a rusty nail is remove any rust remnants remaining in your wound with clean hands. After that, you should apply some pressure to the wound. This would
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