TRAUMA YELLOW
  • Clinical
    • Discharge Macros
    • Procedure Macros
    • Exam Macros
    • Pediatric Macros
    • Antibiogram
    • Follow Up
    • 2023 MDM
    • Heart Pathway
    • Jeromy's Macros
  • Education
    • EM Education
    • Critical Care
    • FOAM
  • Orientation
    • Dept Orientation
    • Cerner
    • Dragon
  • Links
    • Clinical Links
    • StatMacros
    • ICU Bootcamp
  • Private
    • MCS
    • GWU Contacts & Map

Dog Bites

10/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dog bites have commonly mixed flora, with a 50% incidence of pasturella. Primary closure can be done most places except the hands and feet. For open wounds (such as the hands and feet) patients should receive prophylactic augmentin to cover most bacteria, similar to cat or human bites. Dog bites that are closed typically do not require prophylactic antibiotics. 

Wound Care

There is little evidence-based medicine to support a specific fluid for wound care. Normal saline or tap water have both been shown to have a similar infection rate (4-6%). Betadine-containing solutions have not been shown to improve outcomes or decrease infection rates. Some surgical research supports the use of betadine solutions. 

Closure

The primary reason for wound closure is for improved cosmesis. A RCT of patients presenting with dog bites found that closure of dog bite wounds does not increase the risk of infection or complication, and closed wounds had better cosmetic appearance. Hand wounds, regardless of treatment, did have a higher rate of infection. 

Antibiotics

Patients presenting with hand wounds from dog bites should receive prophylactic antibiotics. Per a Cochrane review, there is some evidence showing that dog bites in the hand have reduced infection rates with prophylactic antibiotics. The same review did not show a reduction in cats or for all dog bites. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

     

    All
    Abx
    Article
    Cardiac
    EKG
    EKG Challenge
    GI Bleed
    Grand Rounds
    Headache
    ICU
    Orthopedic
    Pain
    Peds
    Reading
    Stroke
    Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
    Syncope
    Teaching Pearl
    Trauma
    Travel
    Zika

    Archive

     

    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Picture
    Please read our Terms of Use.
Donate
This site is independently owned and operated and not affiliated with the George Washington University, George Washington University Hospital, or Medical Faculty Associates. All information on this site is the opinion of the author alone and in no way should be seen to represent the views of the George Washington University, George Washington University Hospital, or Medical Faculty Associates. The information on this page is for personal use only and should not be see as medical advice or used directly for patient care. The author provides no guarantee of the accuracy of the information provided on this page. ​

​Please refer to our Terms of Use. 
  • Clinical
    • Discharge Macros
    • Procedure Macros
    • Exam Macros
    • Pediatric Macros
    • Antibiogram
    • Follow Up
    • 2023 MDM
    • Heart Pathway
    • Jeromy's Macros
  • Education
    • EM Education
    • Critical Care
    • FOAM
  • Orientation
    • Dept Orientation
    • Cerner
    • Dragon
  • Links
    • Clinical Links
    • StatMacros
    • ICU Bootcamp
  • Private
    • MCS
    • GWU Contacts & Map