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Title: | Man's best friend?: a review of the Austin Hospital's experience with dog bites. | Austin Authors: | Thomas, P R;Buntine, J A | Affiliation: | Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Vic. | Issue Date: | 8-Dec-1987 | Publication information: | Medical Journal of Australia; 147(11-12): 536-40 | Abstract: | A retrospective study of outpatient casualty-department attendances and inpatient hospital admissions for dog-bite wounds was undertaken. Alsatians were the offending dog in 47% of 34 recorded cases. The majority of patients were young; 73% of patients were less than 30 years of age. The upper limb was bitten most frequently (53% of bites). Eleven per cent of dog-bite wounds that were treated in casualty became infected. Upper limb and puncture wounds more often became infected. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment was associated with a 6% infection rate compared with an 18% infection rate in those who were not treated (not statistically significant; P greater than 0.1). Patients of over the age of 45 years had a higher complication rate. All these findings are consistent with other published series. The infection rate was minimal when patients were admitted to hospital and their wounds debrided and closed by a consultant plastic surgeon. A plan for the management of dog-bite wounds is outlined. | Gov't Doc #: | 3696038 | URI: | https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/13007 | Journal: | Medical Journal of Australia | URL: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3696038 | Type: | Journal Article | Subjects: | Animals Anti-Bacterial Agents.therapeutic use Bites and Stings.epidemiology.therapy Dogs Emergency Service, Hospital Female Hospitals, University Humans Male Patient Admission Retrospective Studies Victoria Wound Infection.epidemiology.therapy |
Appears in Collections: | Journal articles |
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