Can I apply dettol & adhesive bandages on dog bites?
I always have pet dogs in my house. Day in & day out my dog bites me playfully; sometimes while cleaning his teeth, he closes his mouth suddenly to cut my finger. These happened for quite long since my first dog.
This was the bite one year back
Normally, I wash my hands with carbolic soaps & then leave them.
Though they are vaccinised, I often take a booster of tetanus. But the doctor said it is not always necessary to take tetanus booster every time it bites or scratches. I don't know why he told so.
My main question is: Can I apply dettol or savlon in these cuts? Can I use band-aids on them?
Also, is there any possible explanation of why the doctor told not to take booster all the time after all they are not hazardous drugs, are they?
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Tetanus Vaccine
If you get a tetanus shot every five years you are good to go. The recommended dose of tetanus toxoid (vaccine) is every ten years but since:
In a small percentage of individuals, antitoxin levels fall below the minimal protective level before 10 years have elapsed, to ensure adequate protective antitoxin levels, persons who sustain a wound that is other than clean and minor should receive a tetanus booster if more than 5 years have elapsed since their last dose
(Taken from cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html chapter on tetanus)
As for your wounds, it is better to wash them with simple soaps and water and leave them to heal without band-aids. The principle is: use solutions that do not cause further damage to the skin and that can be applied to clean most residues and dead tissue with mechanic force rather than chemical action. The most used in Hospital settings is saline solution (H2O plus NaCl at 0.9&), we use it with a syringe so the water comes with pressure.
Here are the general recommendations for wound management/treatment:
Apply direct pressure to any bleeding wound, to control hemorrhage. Tourniquets are rarely indicated since they may reduce tissue
viability.
Examine wounds for gross contamination, devitalized tissue, and
foreign bodies.
Remove constricting rings or other jewelry from injured body part.
Cleanse the wound periphery with soap and sterile water or available
solutions, and provide anesthetics and analgesia whenever possible.
Irrigate wounds with saline solution using a large bore needle and syringe. If unavailable, bottled water is acceptable.
Leave contaminated wounds, bites, and punctures open. Wounds that are sutured in an unsterile environment, or are not cleansed,irrigated, and debrided appropriately, are at high risk for infection due to contamination. Wounds that are not closed primarily (sutured) because of high risk of infection should be considered for delayed primary closure by experienced medical staff using sterile technique.
Remove devitalized tissue and foreign bodies prior to repair as they may increase the incidence of infection
Clip hair close to the wound, if necessary. Shaving of hair is not
necessary, and may increase the chance of wound infection.
Cover wounds (other than contaminated wounds, bites, and punctures) with dry dressing; deeper wounds may require packing with saline soaked gauze and subsequent coverage with a dry bulky dressing.
emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/emergwoundhcp.asp
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