On 31/01/2011 11:14, harry wrote:
On Jan 30, 10:15 wrote:
I pinched out what I later assumed was a rose thorn from my finger earlier
today. It appears to be going yellow and lumpy. :-(

Nick suggested I iodine it - anyone any experience in un-infecting rose
thorn injuries?

(I'm /assuming/ it was a rose thorn, given I chopped down all my garden
roses yesterday, and one is particularly snaggley, but it could possibly
have been something else)

--

If you are lucky, it's one of the streptococci.
If you are unlucky, it's tetanus and you're gonna die. If you haven't
had your tetanus inoculations up to date.

Neither is likely, but if one or the other, an infection by Clostridium
tetani is probably preferable to one of the antibiotic-resistant
haemolytic streps. Tetanus can be treated (even if you haven't been
inoculated) with antiserum (tetanus immunoglobulin) and antibiotics,
together with intensive therapy. If the convulsions can be controlled,
the outlook is good.

Infection with an antibiotic-resistant Group A haemolytic strep will
result in a quick downward spiral, with multi-organ failure along the
way.

--

Jeff