There is a risk of contracting tetanus after getting stitches without a tetanus shot.
The causative agent of tetanus, Clostridium tetani, is an absolute anaerobe that exists in an anoxic environment. At the time of trauma, Clostridium tetani can contaminate deep tissues. If the external wound opening is small, the wound is filled with necrotic tissue, blood clots, or filled too tightly, local ischemia, etc., an anoxic environment suitable for the growth and reproduction of this bacterium is formed.
If the wound requires stitches, it suggests that the wound may be relatively deep, and after the stitches, a confined and hypoxic environment is formed. Tetanus bacillus is prone to multiply and produce exotoxin inside the wound, and the toxin invades the muscle tissues and passes upwards in the direction opposite to the nerve impulses, and ultimately enters the anterior horn of the spinal cord or the nuclei of the motor nerves in the brainstem, producing the corresponding symptoms.
In case of trauma, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time for medical treatment and be diagnosed by the doctor to determine whether tetanus is needed to avoid delay.