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Hospitalizations for pediatric dog bite injuries in the United States
Robert J McLoughlin1, Lauren Cournoyer2, Michael P Hirsh3
1University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Surgery, 55 Lake Ave N, Worcester, MA 01655.
Insights
Pediatric dog bites are common, with children under 11 at highest risk, especially during summer. Targeted dog safety education for younger children is recommended to prevent these injuries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma
- Injury Prevention
- Public Health
Background:
- Dog bites represent a significant cause of hospital admissions for pediatric trauma.
- Understanding the demographics and injury patterns of pediatric dog bite victims is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the characteristics of pediatric dog bite victims.
- To identify associated injuries and interventions in hospitalized children.
- To analyze trends in pediatric dog bite admissions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Kids' Inpatient Database (2006, 2009, 2012) to identify pediatric patients (≤18 years) with ICD-9 dog bite diagnoses.
- Employed case weighting for national estimates and multivariable logistic regression for analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified 6,323 pediatric dog bite admissions with a mean age of 6.63 years.
- Injuries predominantly affected the head, neck, and trunk in younger children, while extremity injuries increased with age.
- Children aged 1-10 years were over three times more likely to be admitted than older children.
Conclusions:
- Dog bites are a frequent cause of injury in pediatric patients, with children under 11 years old being most vulnerable.
- Higher incidence observed during summer months suggests seasonal risk factors.
- Recommendations include focused dog safety training for elementary and middle school students before summer.
Background:
Dog bites are a common cause of pediatric trauma requiring hospital admission. We aim to describe pediatric bite victims, associated injuries and interventions.
Methods:
Children (≤18 years old) were identified with an ICD-9 diagnosis of dog bite in the Kids' Inpatient Database for the years 2006, 2009 and 2012. National estimates were obtained using case weighting. Multivariable logistic regression was performed.
Results:
We identified 6323 admissions for a dog bite with mean age of 6.63 years. Patients were predominately male (56.9%), non-Hispanic white (61.9%), resided in the South (35.1%), and in an urban environment (59.9%). Almost one third underwent a surgical procedure. Open wounds of the head, neck and trunk were the most common injury and decreased in prevalence with increasing age. Open wounds of the extremities were the second most common and the prevalence increased with increasing age. Children aged 1-4 and 5-10 years were both more than three times more likely to be admitted than those more than age 11.
Conclusions:
Dog bite injuries are common for pediatric patients. Children less than age 11 are at greatest risk, particularly in the summer. Dog safety training should be focused on elementary and middle school children close to the start of summer vacation.
Level Of Evidence:
III.
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