On 25/01/2015 21:24, wrote:
On Thursday, September 10, 1998 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-4, Joanna Holland wrote:
I've just been told of a friend who ended up in hospital
on intravenous antibiotics after her arm swelled to
gargantuan proportions due to being scratched by a pyracanthus
while pruning it. Are pyracanthas poisonous, or do they
carry particularly nasty diseases of some sort on their
thorns? Is this sort of accident common?
Please let me know, as mine needs cutting back badly, but I
don't fancy a hospital visit Thanks.
--
Joanna Holland
]

You may be interested in this article I found while researching firethorn as a passive barrier plant. It may be explanitive, and helpful.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002380050254

It is a medical paper of 3 cases of people tangling with Pyracantha and the need to inform medical personnel that even small thorns may be still resident within the wound.

best of luck,
Jim C.




Pyracantha thorns are not poisonous, but they can *sometimes* inflict
unpleasant injuries. I live with a Pyracantha hedge which is over 100ft
in length and have pruned it many times. I often come away with many
scratches, depending on whether I'm doing heavy rejuvenation pruning or
a lighter trim. No scratch, however long, has really harmed me. I have
once or twice in 35yrs received a thorn in a joint in my finger or hand
and these injuries are the worst. The big problem is an infection with
inflamation known as Cellulitis and it can be serious. I've had time in
hospital myself receiving iv antibiotic injections. It only became this
serious because I didn't know what I was dealing with. I now do, and
the moment a puncture gives me cause for concern, I call on the doc for
antibiotics.

There is no reason why you shouldn't tackle your Pyracantha hedge.
Although it won't help with Cellulitis, make sure you're up to date with
your tetanus injection, wear gloves as much as possible and stop work
when you're too tired to concentrate. This is my weakness; I work
apparently tireless when my brain should tell me I'm exhausted. I've
even had a nasty thorn puncture to a joint, suffered from shock, but
refused to stop. I think I'm probably obsessive about my hedge. You can
learn from my mistakes. Pyracantha doesn't bite - it's more that
weary/foolish gardeners cram their fists in its 'mouth'.

Do your job, but take extreme care.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay