An animal bite (thesaurus synonyms: Bite wound; dog bite; dog bite injury; open wound from animal bite; animal bite injury) is a common occurrence worldwide.
Dog bite wounds are usually laceration-crush wounds with often significant soft tissue damage. Cat bites involve deep, puncture wounds that may extend to the bone. Horse bite wounds are usually crush wounds because of the grinder teeth.
One must assume a high risk of infection with each of these wounds because the saliva often contains highly virulent germs. The germs can multiply and spread rapidly in the tissue. In cat bites, infections occur in up to 80% of cases, and in dog bites up to 20%.
There is also a high risk of infection in human bites. Transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C must also be considered.
Animal bites cause 1-3% of all emergency room presentations worldwide in industrialized countries.
Course and prognosis: Signs of infection usually appear after 6 to 8 (-24) hours. Typical signs of infection are redness (lat. rubor), swelling (lat. tumor), hyperthermia (lat. calor) and pain (lat. dolor) in the area of the bite wound.Medical care is required: the wound must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected because of the great risk of infection. The wound is not closed.
Puncture-type dog bite wounds that are closed during treatment are at high risk for infection – prophylactic administration of antibiotics should be considered.
Surgical treatment is required for larger wounds or wounds that are bleeding profusely.
Casualties with a hand bite wound should be presented immediately to a hand surgery center; facial bite wounds to a plastic surgery facility.
