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You can try your hand at Past Puzzlers, too!
The Scenario:
Some of you will remember Joe. You know, the guy who stepped on a nail while re-doing a house and who ended up needing a tetanus shot?
The story continues.
Joe hates shots. He can pound nails all day long, but needles of any kind give him the creeps. He has actually been known to pass out while getting blood drawn. But, being the conscientious person he was, and preferring a shot over "lock-jaw," Joe finally made his way into the doctor's office on Monday -- two days after stepping on the nail. The nurse gave him his tetanus shot in the left shoulder area as is customary, and was told it might get a little sore for a couple of days.
Right they were. Although he never passed out, the shot hurt quite a bit. He tried to brush it off, but by the next morning the pain in his shoulder had actually increased, especially when he tried to raise it. Then, over the next two days, the arm actually began to swell. It became very red all around the area of the injection, and very warm to the touch. His temperature was up just a little (to 100.5 degrees), and he had aches and pains throughout his body -- sort of like a mild case of the flu.
Questions:
Answer:
Joe did the right thing to get his tetanus shot. But he'll think twice before he ever gets another.
If you were to look at his arm right now, you would be impressed to see how bright red it was. When you touched it, the tissues would feel hot and feverish, and instead of being soft and easy to pinch the skin the tissues would feel tense and swollen. He also might swat you for hurting him unless you are gentle.
The big question here is this: Does Joe have an infection in the soft tissues (in other words a cellulitis)? Or has he simply had an exaggerated response of his immune system to the tetanus vaccine? It may be hard to tell the difference, which is why a trip to the doctor is in order. If there is any uncertainty, antibiotics may be given just to cover the possibility of an infection, a potentially serious (and rare) complication. Local immune reactions without an infection do occur with immunizations. They ordinarily resolve without specific interventions apart from ice packs and over-the-counter analgesics.
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