Publication:

Epidemiology of mammal bite injuries: 5 year review of a level II regional referral hospital in Mexico city

Background Animal bites are a common cause of primary care and emergency department attention worldwide. However, the incidence of this pathology among Mexican population is not well known. Plastic surgeons are at the forefront of initial attention and final outcome of these destructive wounds in our country. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of animal bites over a 5 year period at a level II general hospital in Mexico city. Objective of current study was to determine the incidence of animal bites in hospital “Rubén Leñero” in Mexico city over a 5-year periodMethods: Retrospective study; records of emergency room of all adult patients who sustained animal bites between January 2016 to December 2020 were collected. Details about age, gender, and location of the injuries were recorded and analyzed.

Results From a total of 277 cases, 273 were dog bites (98.56%) and 4 cat bites (1.44%), 173 males (62.45%) and 104 females (37.55%) were affected. The two most injured places in the human body were the hand with 98 cases (35.37%), followed by the lips in 45 cases (16.25%).

Conclusions Animal bites are a frequent injury in the primary care unit, representing a health issue in our country. Proper patient evaluation and treatments are essential to prevent further complications and subsequent infections. Further investigation will be required to establish risk factors for this pathology.