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Dog bites to the upper extremity in children
Joshua Speirs1, James Showery1, Marwa Abdou2
1Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, Texas, USA.
Insights
Dog bites on children's upper extremities often require surgery or antibiotics. Prompt medical attention is crucial, as delayed treatment increases infection risk for these injuries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma
- Wound Management
- Injury Epidemiology
Background:
- Dog bites are a significant cause of pediatric injuries.
- Upper extremity injuries are common in children who experience dog bites.
- Limited data exists on the treatment outcomes for pediatric upper extremity dog bites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the treatment and outcomes of upper extremity dog bites in children.
- To compare upper extremity dog bites with lower extremity dog bites in pediatric patients.
- To identify factors associated with hospitalization or surgical intervention.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for children under 19 years old.
- Data collected from a level one trauma center between 2005 and 2011.
- Analysis of dog bite locations, treatment received, and patient presentation timing.
Main Results:
- 26% of pediatric dog bites occurred on the upper extremity.
- Children with upper extremity bites had a higher likelihood of hospitalization for surgery or antibiotics compared to lower extremity bites.
- Delayed presentation (1-2 days post-injury) significantly increased the risk of hospitalization or surgery.
Conclusions:
- Upper extremity dog bites in children are more likely to necessitate surgical intervention and develop infections.
- Prompt medical evaluation is critical for managing pediatric dog bites, especially those affecting the upper extremity.
- Delayed presentation is a key risk factor for complications in pediatric dog bite injuries.
Aim:
Dog bites are common injuries in children. A large percentage of these dog bites affect the upper extremity. There is little information describing the results of treatment of upper extremity injuries in children.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records for all children less than 19 years old who presented to the emergency department in our level one trauma centre because of dog bites from 2005 to 2011.
Results:
During the study period, there were 254 paediatric emergency department visits for animal bites, among these there were 118 dog bites, two were excluded because of inadequate documentation leaving 116 patients; 26 of them (22.4%) had bites to the upper extremity. Among the 26 children with dog bites to the upper extremity, 6 (23.1%) were admitted to the hospital for surgery (four patients) or parenteral antibiotics (two patients). Among the four surgeries, two were for extensive laceration and two were for abscess debridement. Of the 41 who presented with bites to the lower extremities, none were admitted to the hospital (P = 0.002). Compared with those who presented the same day they were injured, the relative risk of hospitalization or surgery in patients who presented 1 and 2 days after their injury was 3.5 and 7.0, respectively.
Conclusion:
Dog bites at the upper extremity are more prone to require surgical intervention and develop infection than those at the lower extremity, and delayed presentation of these injuries is associated with higher incidence of developing infection.
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