Cuts, Wounds, and Scratches
Because these are potential portals -of entry for infectious
organisms, they should be washed promptly with soap and water and covered with
sterile gauze; a Band-Aid will do if the cut is small. Any cut that penetrates
deeply may heal better if sewn together. If in doubt, let your doctor or the
nearest hospital emergency room decides for you; otherwise you may blame
yourself later for an unsightly scar.
A serious danger from wounds and deep
scratches is tetanus, or lock- jaw. The tetanus germ is commonly found in soil
and wherever there are horses, cattle, and manure. It is also found in the dust
of city streets. A deep puncture by a nail can be serious. Although many people
think it is the rust on a nail that may cause trouble, this is not true; it's
the germs on the nail that constitute the danger. The best preventive measure
for tetanus is immunization.
Tetanus toxoid provides immunity for several years. For
anyone who has not been so immunized, a deep wound or scratch calls for use of
tetanus anti- toxin (TAT) as an emergency measure to prevent tetanus. It is
available in hospital emergency rooms, infirmaries, and first-aid stations.
While T AT provides protection, it does cause unpleasant reactions in some
people, and doctors will test the patient for possible sensitivity to the horse
serum with which TAT is made.
Tetanus toxoid does not produce unpleasant reactions,
another reason why you should take this important safety measure in advance of
any possible accident. Take Reasonable Precautions We hope that this chapter
motivates you-through understanding rather than just admonition-to take
sensible precautions against infection. Make it a way of life simply not to
drink out of glasses, eat out of dishes, or use the towels that others have
used; to stay, as much as possible, away from sneezers and coughers; and to
keep yourself and your home fastidiously clean.
There is no need to go to
extremes, to become a fanatic on the subject of germs. Some people do, devoting
themselves to almost constant scrubbing, boiling, sterilizing of food, home,
and their own person. They spray their noses and throats and the air about them
with antiseptics, shun others, wage a constant battle against contamination.
This is neither necessary nor effective. It is unnecessary because, where germs
are concerned, the odds favor us. Most organisms are harmless.
