Is tetanus administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously?

Written by Liu Huan Huan
General Surgery
Updated on April 02, 2025
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Tetanus is widely used clinically and is known as tetanus antitoxin, intended solely to prevent the clinical symptoms caused by infection with Clostridium tetani. Therefore, a skin test must be conducted before administering tetanus injections. The common skin test involves creating a skin wheal intradermally; if the skin test is negative, one can proceed with the tetanus antitoxin injection. The injection can be administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously. For example, the common sites include the deltoid attachment area on the upper arm for subcutaneous injections, and the deltoid or the lateral part of the buttock for intramuscular injections, among others. These are the injection sites for tetanus.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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Is there still a cure for tetanus attacks?

Tetanus is usually a specific infection caused by Clostridium tetani in the human body. In the early stages of tetanus, it mainly manifests as dizziness, headache, fatigue, decreased appetite, weak chewing, some muscle soreness, or increased muscle reflexes. As the condition worsens, muscle spasms and rigidity may occur. During a tetanus attack, symptoms mainly include lockjaw, difficulty opening the mouth, a sardonic smile, stiffness in the neck, opisthotonus, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, respiratory arrest, or cardiac arrest. When a tetanus attack occurs, it is imperative to go to the hospital for treatment timely. Through standard treatment and care, most cases of tetanus can be cured if there are no particularly severe complications.

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Written by Ai Bing Quan
General Surgery
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Does tetanus hurt?

Generally speaking, receiving a tetanus shot can be painful. If there is a suspicion of infection with tetanus bacillus, it is necessary to go to the hospital to obtain tetanus antitoxin. A skin test must be performed before the injection, and the routine skin test is usually done on the inner front wall. Naturally, when the skin test needle is injected into the skin, the pain will be quite apparent. If the skin test result is negative, the tetanus antitoxin can be injected into the muscle, which may also cause pain and discomfort. If the skin test is positive, tetanus immunoglobulin, which does not require a skin test, needs to be administered. Typically, if a person has a relatively small but deep wound, particularly one caused by rusty and dirty objects, there might be a risk of infection by tetanus bacillus. In such cases, it is advisable to get the tetanus injection at the hospital as soon as possible, ideally within 12 hours.

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Written by Liu Huan Huan
General Surgery
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After getting a tetanus shot, what should one pay attention to?

In clinical settings, the tetanus vaccine is called tetanus antitoxin. Tetanus antitoxin is prone to allergies. After administering tetanus antitoxin, it is necessary to observe the patient for 30 minutes to check for any allergic reactions, such as breath-holding, chest tightness, or the appearance of a rash on the skin at the injection site. Furthermore, if the patient does not exhibit the aforementioned symptoms, care must also be taken with their diet after receiving the tetanus vaccine. It is important to advise the patient not to consume alcohol, to eat light foods, to drink plenty of water, and to eat foods high in fiber, vitamins, and protein. The patient should avoid seafood and similar items.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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What are the symptoms of a tetanus wound?

Under normal circumstances, the wounds of tetanus are usually small and deep. There may be redness and swelling at the wound site. After a tetanus infection, when symptoms occur, the redness seen is different from the usual redness - it typically appears as a dark red. The wound might have a deep infection and produce pus, which is either white or blood-tinged. Additionally, there will be pain at the wound site, which feels severely painful to the touch, and sometimes the severe pain is felt even without touching it.

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Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
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Is it necessary to get a tetanus shot?

Getting a tetanus shot is very necessary if a patient has had an injury or has wounds on the body. Without a tetanus shot, there might be a risk of tetanus infection. The main reason is due to the presence of tetanus bacillus spores in the natural environment, which could colonize within the wound if it's exposed. This can potentially lead to a tetanus infection. Severe cases can present with symptoms such as opisthotonos, breathing difficulties, suffocation, and could even lead to death. The tetanus shot involves injecting tetanus antitoxin into the patient's body, which is a form of passive immunity and can prevent some symptoms of tetanus infection.