Pet problems
Clive R. Hollin in An Introduction to Human–Animal Relationships, 2021
What, exactly, is a dog bite? Oxley, Christley, and Westgarth (2019) make the point that while we may talk about dog bites using distinctions such as a “nip” or a “play bite,” the study of bites needs more precise definitions. Oxley, Christley, and Westgarth conducted a survey using an online questionnaire asking people over the age of 18 years to give details of their most recent dog bite. There were 484 responses mainly from people living in England, most were female (84.8%) with the most common age groups of 45–54 years (24.9%) and 35–44 years (24.4%). The majority of respondents said they currently (82.6%) or previously owned a dog (87.7%). In their most recent incident, the majority of respondents (86%) stated they were bitten once. As can be seen from Table 3.4, respondents gave a range of responses when they said what would qualify as a bite.
Neuroinfectious Diseases
Philip B. Gorelick, Fernando D. Testai, Graeme J. Hankey, Joanna M. Wardlaw in Hankey's Clinical Neurology, 2020
Worldwide, dog bites account for the majority of human exposures. In the developing world, more than 90% of reported cases in humans are transmitted by canines.4 However, in the United States, domestic animals are immunized against rabies, shifting the main vector from dogs to either unknown sources or bats. Indeed, bats are now thought to be the primary source of human rabies in the United States, with rabid bats documented in all 49 continental states.4,5 From 1991 to 2007, only 34 naturally acquired, bat-associated human cases of rabies were reported in the United States, and most submitted bats (approximately 94%) will not be rabid;6 however, the high mortality of rabies encephalitis necessitates a timely and thorough evaluation for all potential bat bite exposures.
Rabies Virus Neurovirulence
Sunit K. Singh, Daniel Růžek in Neuroviral Infections, 2013
Not all exposures to rabies virus through bite wounds received from rabid animals result in infection, clinical disease, and death (Cleaveland et al. 2002). It is thought that one of the major factors affecting the risk of developing rabies following a dog bite exposure is the location of the bite (Knobel et al. 2005). Estimates suggest that if no PEP is provided, the risk of developing rabies following a rabid dog bite is approximately 50%, depending on the severity and location of the wound received, with the risk increasing for head wounds and decreasing for bites sustained on extremities (Baltazard and Ghodssi 1954; Solomon et al. 2005). This should not preclude potentially exposed individuals from seeking immediate medical attention as the risk of developing rabies can be reduced through administration of rapid, effective PEP (Hampson et al. 2008; Jackson 2007 a).
Cat bite: an injury not to underestimate
Published in Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, 2019
Amin Kheiran, Vishal Palial, Rebecca Rollett, Clare J. Wildin, Urjit Chatterji, Harvinder P. Singh
Animal bites represent an average of 1–2% of patients’ visits to the emergency department (ED) in the United Kingdom and similarly in the United States; most of these are minor injuries and often go unreported [1–3]. In the United States, cat bites represent approximately 20% of animal bites visiting ED [3]. Women are bitten by cats more frequently than men [3–6]. An estimated overall infection rate for cat bites has been reported to range between 30% and 60%, which is more than double the infection rate for dog bites [2,3]. Dog bites are mechanically destructive, blunt teeth and strong jaws result in a tearing action producing significant visual soft-tissue damage [2,4]. Cat bites are easily underestimated because of the minimal appearance of tissue injury [3,5,6]. Cats have sharp, slender teeth that penetrate deep tissues, bones and joints. Like hypodermic needles [2,6], they produce a deep puncture wound inoculated with saliva that seals off within 48 h; this leaves a potential dead space resulting in deep infections [2–8]. Therefore, the risk of deep infections is easily underestimated by the patient and the treating professional [3,6,8,9]. Clinical infection is mostly characterized by progressive inflammation causing acute onset of erythema, swelling and intense pain within 24 h of initial insult in 70% of victims and by 48 h in almost 90% of cases [9,10].
Surgical management of severe facial trauma after dog bite: A case report
Published in Acta Oto-Laryngologica Case Reports, 2020
Bernhard Prem, David Tianxiang Liu, Bernhard Parschalk, Boban M. Erovic, Christian A. Mueller
In the USA, animal bites account for approximately 1% of all injury-related visits to emergency departments. Of these cases, about 85–90% are caused by dogs [1] and, in general, the victims are more commonly children than adults [2,3]. The uniqueness of every single dog bite presents challenges for clinical treatment and the development of guidelines. Dog-bite injuries range from small superficial abrasions or crush wounds to major tissue loss including bone damage [4]. Individual treatment is guided by the degree of each trauma [5,6]. In particular, bites affecting the human face present a great challenge for surgeons. Treatment options range from primary and delayed primary closure (PC) to secondary intention, including surgical approaches, such as local flaps, and skin or composite grafts [5]. In addition to surgical procedures, another important aspect of dog-bite treatment is anti-infective therapy against rabies, tetanus and other bacteria [2]. Antimicrobial therapy is always indicated, whereas treatment against tetanus depends on the patient’s immunization status and therapy against rabies is determined by the immunization status and health of the attacking dog. Here, we report the case of a 27-year-old patient who suffered a subtotal amputation of her nose after a facial dog bite.
Clinical features and management of animal bites in an emergency department: a single-center experience
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2023
Orkun Aydin, Elif Tugce Aydin Goker, Zeynep Aybuke Arslan, Halil Mustafa Sert, Ozlem Teksam
The most common complication of dog bites is a soft tissue infection, although cat bites are associated with a higher risk [26]. Infections are common in the head and neck, particularly with bony or vascular involvement [27]. Hands are particularly susceptible to infection due to the relatively low oxygen tension [28]. Furthermore, infections on the hand can spread rapidly due to the contiguous spaces between the hand and the forearm [29]. A bite wound greater than 3 cm in length is a significant risk factor for infection [30]. Appropriate antibiotic selection is very important. In our study, the rate of oral antibiotic administration was 34.3%, although the number of patients who received IV antibiotics due to infectious complications was low (3.3%). However, there is no good evidence that prophylactic antibiotics make a significant difference in the outcome of dog bite injuries except when certain risk factors exist (e.g., location on the hand, deep puncture wounds, or immunocompromised host) [31]. We speculated that antibiotic prophylaxis is more common than in the literature due to the high rate of patients that contact cats.
Related Knowledge Centers
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