Since this site is at least partially about the science behind fishing, and given the fact that I just put a fishhook through my finger (embedded beyond barb) for the first time in my life this past weekend, I thought it might be appropriate to give some specifics on research related to both hook removal, as well as some statistics on the rates of tetanus, the first thing most people think of when getting jabbed by a fishhook, nail or other type puncture.
Turns out there are actually 4 medically recognized means of hook removal shared by physicians. They are:
- Retrograde Technique
- String-Yank Technique
- Needle Cover Technique
- Advance and Cut Technique
You can read all about the four techniques along with diagrams on how to perform each, plus wound care, in this article from the June 2001 issue of American Family Physician (AFP): Fishhook removal
Along a similar line, the common recommendation is to be current on your tetanus shots/boosters, which is widely regarded as being necessary every 5-10 years. However, as anglers, there's a good chance most everyone either has stuck themselves with a hook, or knows of someone who has, but probably doesn't know of anyone who actually developed tetanus from such incidents. So I went to the CDC website and pulled up this technical paper from the annuls of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) titled "Tetanus Surveillance --- United States, 2001--2008." Turns out tetanus has been on a huge decline since 1947 thanks to recommended vaccinations of the population, to the point where there were only 233 reported cases during that 8 year time frame in the U.S. Those most susceptible to getting tetanus include drug users, diabetics, and people who have either never had a tetanus shot, or don't know if they've ever had a shot.
Here are the stats from that report (click on pics to enlarge).
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