“Should I go to the ER for a dog bite?”
I am a 35 year old male. I want to know if I should go to the ER for a dog bite?
2 Answers
Yes. Puncture wounds can get infected. Was the dog vaccinated against rabies? Is your tetanus shot up to date?
That depends on many variables:
1. Is the dog a pet who got scared by something? Or, is the dog new to the neighbourhood?
2. The size of the dog, i.e., the strength of its jowls.
3. Did the bite break the skin?
4. Diid the bite penetrate the clothes (e.g., tear in the pant leg)?
5. Was there a significant tissue-crush component: discolouration, tissue distortion such as a flap?
6. Is there underlying patient illness such as diabetes mellitus, COPD, chronic renal failure, vascular insufficiency in the region of the bite?
7. Diid the bite occur in an area of contamination?
8. Is the patient's tetanus booster (DT) up-to-date?
9. The knowledge and experience of the ED physician on call: Bites are never sewn as a regular laceration would be, as to do so makes the likelihood of secondary infection almost 100%. Animal bites are simply tacked together with as few [synthetic] sutures as it takes to approximate the edges.
10. The anxiety/worry level of the patient. My philosophy is, "If in doubt, go to the emergency department."
There are other variables, but these are the main ones. Realize that I am sitting at my computer, not in the emergency department where other variables may arise upon questioning.
Dr. Matsusaki
1. Is the dog a pet who got scared by something? Or, is the dog new to the neighbourhood?
2. The size of the dog, i.e., the strength of its jowls.
3. Did the bite break the skin?
4. Diid the bite penetrate the clothes (e.g., tear in the pant leg)?
5. Was there a significant tissue-crush component: discolouration, tissue distortion such as a flap?
6. Is there underlying patient illness such as diabetes mellitus, COPD, chronic renal failure, vascular insufficiency in the region of the bite?
7. Diid the bite occur in an area of contamination?
8. Is the patient's tetanus booster (DT) up-to-date?
9. The knowledge and experience of the ED physician on call: Bites are never sewn as a regular laceration would be, as to do so makes the likelihood of secondary infection almost 100%. Animal bites are simply tacked together with as few [synthetic] sutures as it takes to approximate the edges.
10. The anxiety/worry level of the patient. My philosophy is, "If in doubt, go to the emergency department."
There are other variables, but these are the main ones. Realize that I am sitting at my computer, not in the emergency department where other variables may arise upon questioning.
Dr. Matsusaki
