“I was bit by a raccoon?”
I leave a small dish of cat food outside my back door for strays. Occasionally I have seen other animals. This morning, I saw the dish as empty and started to add some food to the dish and a raccoon raced up the steps from out of nowhere and bit my hand. The bite is very minor, I have had worse from my cat, but it did draw blood. I washed it well with soap and water and dosed it with hydrogen peroxide. Should I be all right or do I need to run to the emergency room to check it?
Male | 64 years old
3 Answers
EmergencyMedicineEmergencyPhysician
You should be alright but there is always the possibility of rabies, especially if they broke skin. To be sure, I would recommend contacting your physician, so you can get a prophylactic protocol started.
Besides watching for a possible bite infection, you MUST be evaluated for possible RABIES EXPOSURE--and unless you know for sure otherwise, I advise being treated for it--as RABIES is totally preventable if treated with the approprate injections
You need to go to the emergency room immediately. You need the rabies series of shots as well as post-exposure prophylaxis!
