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A "Shark Encounter": Delayed Primary Closure and Prophylactic Antibiotic Treatment of a Great White Shark Bite
Daniel Popa1, Karen Van Hoesen2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Background:
Shark bites are rare but sensational injuries that are covered in the lay press but are not well described in the medical literature.
Case Report:
We present the case of a 50-year-old man who sustained two deep puncture wounds to his thigh from a great white shark in the waters surrounding Isla de Guadalupe off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, during a caged SCUBA dive. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: We discuss our strategy of closing the wounds in a delayed primary fashion 24 hours after injury, our antibiotic choices, and the patient's course and review marine pathogens and appropriate antibiotic coverage.
