[Animal and human bites in Iceland.]

Information on incidence, epidemiology and complications of human and animal bites in Nordic countries is limited, but these injuries can carry serious infectious complications. We conducted a prospective study at the Borgarspitalinn Emergency Department (ED) from August 1991 to July 1992. During this time 145 individuals entered the ED due to bites (accounting for ~0.4% of all admissions to the ED); 66 subjects (46%) had been bitten by dogs (41 provoked), 29 (20%) by cats, 34 (23%) by humans and 16 (11%) by other animals (horse, rabbit, hamster, rat, parrot, piranha fish, guinea pig, mink). The victims of dog and human bites were primarily men under 30 years of age, 73% and 79%, respectively. Dog and human bites were most common during the summer months and 41% of subjects bitten by humans were inebriated. Culture specimens were obtained on admission from 67 subjects, 31 from dog bites (58% positive), 10 from cat bites (80% positive), 19 from human bites (84% positive) and 7 from other bites (43% positive). The most common organisms isolated from dog bites were beta-hemolytic streptococci, S. aureus and CDC M-5, from cat bites Pasturella multocida, Flavobacterium sp. and from human bites S. aureus and beta-hemolytic streptococci. Prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed to 92 (63%) of the victims. Clinical infection was observed in 23 (16%) individuals. The infection rates after dog, cat and human bites were 8%, 28% and 29%, respectively. Three individuals bitten by humans had to be hospitalized due to osteomyelitis and/or severe cellulitis. The demography of bites in this study was similar to that reported elsewhere. Infection rates were comparatively low, possibly due to current habits of prophylactic antimicrobial use.