What to do if scratched by rusty iron

In our daily life, we often experience some minor injuries, such as abrasions, scratches, etc. Many times we will use simple methods such as Band-Aids to deal with them, but we may not be able to simply deal with scratches by rusty iron. So what should we do if we are scratched by rusty iron? Let’s take a look at it together below.

Tetanus is an acute specific infection caused by tetani bacteria invading human wounds, growing and multiplying, and producing toxins. All open injuries are likely to cause tetanus. If the epidermis is scratched by rusty metal and the wound is not deep, only proper debridement is needed and there is no need to inject tetanus antitoxin. If the wound is small and deep and you are really worried, you can also go to the hospital to get a tetanus antitoxin injection.

The infection conditions, pathogenic mechanism and prevention and treatment principles of tetanus bacteria.

(1) Infection conditions: Clostridium tetani is a non-invasive bacterium whose spores are widely distributed in nature and generally do not cause disease. When there is a narrow and deep wound in the body, or when there is a simultaneous infection with aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria, or when there is a lot of necrotic tissue, or when the wound is contaminated by dirt or foreign matter, local ischemia and hypoxia may occur. This creates a local anaerobic environment, which is conducive to the reproduction of Clostridium tetani.

(2) Pathogenic mechanism: After Clostridium tetani infects a susceptible wound, the spores germinate into reproductive bodies, multiply locally and release tetanus toxin and tetanolysin. The former acts on the motor cells in the anterior horns of the spinal cord, blocking inhibitory neurotransmitters, causing rigid contraction of muscles throughout the body and opisthotonos (a symptom unique to tetanus).

(3) Principles of prevention and treatment: Since tetanus toxin can quickly and irreversibly bind to nerve tissue, it is difficult to treat once the disease occurs, so prevention is particularly important. If you encounter a suspicious wound, you should clean and expand the wound, and use large doses of penicillin to inhibit bacterial reproduction. Patients should be given emergency prophylaxis with tetanus antitoxin, and those who have already become ill should receive specific treatment. Susceptible groups such as children, soldiers and people prone to trauma should be vaccinated with tetanus toxoid, and children should be vaccinated with the DPT triple vaccine for prevention.

What should you do if you are scratched by rusty iron? I believe that after reading the above detailed introduction about tetanus bacteria, it can help us understand the treatment principles and related knowledge after being scratched by rusty iron. In our lives, we must pay attention to the dangerous items around us, learn to protect ourselves from being scratched by sharp objects, and know how to deal with the situation in time. If the above situation occurs, please go to a regular hospital for treatment in time.