Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of animal bite.
Family history
Social history
- What is your occupation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Is the bite an animal or human bite* ?
- Where, in what situation and how were you bitten?
- Was the bite in a foreign country? [If applicable, rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), see below Rabies/Pharmacotherapy]
- In addition, what complaints do you have?
- Do you suffer from nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath?* .
- Have you noticed sensory disturbances in the affected extremity?*
- Can you move the affected extremity? Do you feel pain when doing so?
Vegetative history including nutritional history – of importance for wound healing.
- Are you overweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Are you underweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you get enough exercise every day?
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol more often? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, which drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (eg, diabetes mellitus due to wound healing).
- Surgery (splenectomy? – Cave! Immunodeficiency).
- Vaccination status (due to tetanus vaccination; rabies vaccination).
- Allergies
- Medication history (due topossible anticoagulation, antibiotic therapy (recent), glucocorticoid therapy, immunosuppressants).
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information)
