How Common Are Bite Injuries?

QUESTION: Just how common are bite injuries in the United States? Which are
most dangerous?
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ANSWER: Physicians in this country see about a million people each year who
have been bitten by either dogs, cats, rats, or humans. Many such bites do
not cause serious consequences but they all must be examined closely as soon
as possible following occurrences. The cost of the complications of bite
injuries is estimated at about $50 million yearly.
About two percent of all emergency room visits involve animal or human
bites. While most are not serious, at least 10 percent require stitches and
follow-up visits. Only approximately one-to-two percent require
hospitalization.
Bites are divided into two risk categories: those that cause a high risk
of infection--usually punctures to the hands and feet; wounds for which
treatment has been delayed; and bites on people who are suffering from some
immunocompromising disease where defense against infectious disease is low.
Lacerations of the face, torso and extremities are generally at low risk for
complicating infections.
Dog bites are the most frequent bite injury seen by physicians. Bites
from cats are less frequent but many have more serious complications than
those from dogs. Incidences of human bites are approximately the same as
those from rats and other rodents.
To treat properly, doctors first carefully inspect bite wounds to
determine how deep they go and how much damage has been done to tissues.
Sometimes x-ray examinations are necessary. After examinations, wounds are
carefully cleansed, and crushed and damaged tissues are removed, to try to
eradicate all germs that might cause infection in the wound. Then, decisions
are made as to whether suturing is needed and if antibiotics, or other
medications, must be administered. If 8 to 12 hours have passed since the
injury, chances are your doctor will choose not to try to close the wound with
stitches. And, since most bites do not become infected, antibiotics may also
be withheld.
Most bites from dogs are not terribly serious, however, they are
frightening. Cat bites are far more dangerous. Cats' fangs can create a much
deeper puncture wound that those from dogs, and cat bites lead to a far higher
number of infections; about 35 to 50% of all cat bites become infected.
Human bites are rather uncommon. Usually, they are inflicted by those
who are intoxicated, self-inflicted by patients experiencing seizures, or
during the events surrounding a police arrest (it's the arresting officer who
is the patient). Most such bites are to the hands. Of all bites, those
inflicted by humans have the greatest likelihood of becoming infected because
the human mouth contains the largest variety of different bacteria.
Rat bites occur about as frequently as those from humans, but most often
they cause little harm since most are from rats used in research, rather than
wild ones. However, all patients with rat bite must be closely followed as
these critters' bites can cause other serious conditions.
Whatever the source of a bite, and no matter how serious it looks, it's
not a bad idea to seek professional care, if just to avoid the serious
complications that sometimes occur.