Bleeding from a razor, what is the risk of infection?

Sharp razor blades can easily cause bleeding wounds and transmit blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis if not cleaned thoroughly. On the other hand, bleeding wounds can also be an entry point for tetanus bacteria in the external environment.

You should wash the wound with clean water and soap. To prevent the risk of tetanus and hepatitis B infection, you can go to a vaccination facility for advice.

Currently, Vietnam has hepatitis B vaccines for adults including Heberbiovac HB (Cuba) and Gene Hbvax (Vietnam), Twinrix (Belgium) to prevent hepatitis A and B in one injection. Before vaccination, you need an antibody test. The vaccination schedule for people with unknown vaccination history or antibody levels below the protective level includes three doses within 6 months.

For tetanus, there are single vaccines and combination vaccines such as 6 in 1, 5 in 1, 4 in 1, 3 in 1, 2 in 1, vaccinated according to each age. Adults who have not been vaccinated or whose vaccination history is unknown need a tetanus vaccine regimen of three shots within 7 months, booster shots every 10 years and additional shots when there is a wound.

If you are fully vaccinated, when you have a wound, you only need to get one booster shot. You do not need to inject tetanus antitoxin serum or tetanus immune globulin (TIG). Pregnant women need a tetanus shot in the second or last trimester of pregnancy, with a booster shot in each subsequent pregnancy.

In addition to vaccination, everyone should have safe sex, not share personal items such as razors, towels, toothbrushes, eat enough nutritious food, and exercise regularly to improve physical condition.