Wondering about tetanus and iodine....

[SaligoBay]

Mr SB, brave soul that he is, needed stitches in his hand after doing a 17km VTT race with no back brakes (came off in the first fall near the beginning!).

Every British person who knew about it asked "did he get a tetanus shot?".   No, he didn't!  

However, during the cleaning-up process, he did get liberal doses of very runny iodine.  AN Other British person has since told me that they don't use iodine in the UK any longer, because it can cause burn damage to the layers of skin.

What's going on?   Why would they not give a tetanus shot as a priority after an injury that was filled with dirt and dust?

I guess tetanus is like painkillers, in that the emergency services aren't allowed to administer them?

 

[Pangur]

Does a tetanus shot not last for years?  Maybe they assumed he already had one. I thought lots of children got them these days as a matter of course with other jabs....

[Will]

Mrs Will had a scratch from a farm cat, that went rather nasty (the scratch rather than the cat, though that wasn't particularly pleasant either). She asked the doctor about it, and Mme Toubib insisted on an immediate tetanus injection, which she has just had renewed a year later. Don't need to tell SB this, but do note that French word is tenanos rather than tetanus - using the latter spelling caused our rather bottom-fixated neighbour a lot of amusement.

 

[Kiera]

The tetanus vaccine is normally given to babies with their diphtheria and whooping cough vaccine  (DTP) but a booster is recommended every ten years. It is also recommended following any accident which results in a dirty wound if the person is not sure when they last had a booster.

Kiera

 

[Patf]

When husband had a leg operation and nurses came to the house to change

dressings etc they used iodine and I've used it as an antiseptic since

then, with no problems. I prefer it to eosine. Perhaps your friend

meant gentian violet was now thought to be not safe? Pat.

[Val_2]

My husband sliced a good part of his thumb off with a circular saw and for six weeks every second day he had to sit and soak it in iodine which the nurse supervised. The thumb is now back to normal again,albeit a little skinnier than before, but he certainly has not suffered any damage to the new skin

[Kate Campbell]

Iodine or Betadine as we would have known it is still used as a skin cleanser before some surgical operations in the Uk, particularly Orthopaedics.Here in France it is used widely for cleansing most wounds. I am a nurse working here in France and have used it in the Bloc Operatoire. My understanding is in France a tetanus is advised every 5 years for children and every 10 years for adults.

[Kate Campbell]

I should also say that there is a form of Iodine which is used in Gynaecology procedures which if used on the skin can burn, so this is perhaps where the confusion has come from as it is also known as Iodine.