Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Rat bites: fifty cases.

G J Ordog, S Balasubramanium, J Wasserberger

    Annals of Emergency Medicine
    |February 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Rat bite wounds have a low natural infection rate, making prophylactic antibiotics unnecessary. Proper surgical care and tetanus prophylaxis are recommended for all rat bite injuries.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Optimization of meat level and processing conditions for development of chicken meat noodles using response surface methodology.

    Journal of food science and technology·2015
    Same author

    Ovoquinol..

    Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2011
    Same author

    Warning to dog owners.

    Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2011
    Same author

    Cephradine in the prophylactic treatment of dog bites.

    Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2011
    Same author

    Dealing with sudden death of the emergency patient.

    Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2011
    Same author

    TENS For Acute Pain.

    Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2010
    Same journal

    Do Hospitals Turn Away Ambulances Only When Busy, or When Their Peers Do?

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    Same journal

    "It's Just So Important to Make Them Feel Seen": Teen and Caregiver Perspectives of Lethal Means Safety Planning for the Emergency Department.

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    Same journal

    Hepatitis C Screening Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the Emergency Department: A Secondary Analysis of the Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Screening Trial.

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    Same journal

    Incidence and Outcomes of Emergency Physician-Performed Awake Intubations: A Report From the Airway Interventions Registry and Observational Database.

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    Same journal

    Variation in Emergency Department Experience With Pediatric Critical Illness.

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    Same journal

    Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Hydrostatic Reduction of Ileocolic Intussusception in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

    Annals of emergency medicine·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Wound Management
    • Microbiology

    Background:

    • Rat bites are common injuries, often occurring during sleep and affecting exposed areas.
    • The necessity of prophylactic antibiotics for uninfected rat bite wounds remains a clinical question.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the natural incidence of wound infection in patients with uninfected rat bite wounds without prophylactic antibiotics.
    • To identify common bacterial isolates from rat bite wounds.
    • To inform treatment recommendations for rat bite injuries.

    Main Methods:

    • Prospective study of 50 patients with uninfected rat bite wounds.
    • All open wounds were cultured for bacterial identification.
    • Patient outcomes regarding infection development were monitored.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Results:

    • Bacterial isolates were recovered from 30% of wounds, predominantly Staphylococcus epidermidis.
    • Only one patient (2%) developed a wound infection.
    • Most bites occurred on exposed upper extremities and face while patients slept.

    Conclusions:

    • Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated for uninfected rat bite wounds due to a low natural infection rate.
    • Good surgical wound management is crucial.
    • Tetanus prophylaxis is mandatory; rabies prophylaxis is generally not required.
    • If infection occurs, cephalosporin or penicillinase-resistant penicillin is recommended with surgical care.