Publication:

Study of morbidity of pediatric dog bites: single center experience

Background Pediatric dog bite injuries are common and vary in severity. One out of every five of those bites causes an injury that requires medical attention, according to the centers for disease control. Children are also more likely to be injured by a dog bite than adults. The study was conducted with the objective to describe the incidence and the characteristics of dog bite injuries treated in a large tertiary pediatric.

Methods This study was performed in Pediatric Surgery Department of BMC and RI, Bangalore, India. Clinical data collected from emergency department referred to pediatric surgery from August 2014 to July 2015.

Results The total number of dog bites reported were 32, of which majority (70%) accounted for class 3 injuries requiring surgical intervention in form of debridement, suturing and reconstructions. 56% of dog bites involved face and upper limb. Majority of the patients were between ages (3-8 years). The most severe injuries include orbital injury, emasculation with bilateral orchidectomy, urethral injury requiring staged repairs and multiple hospital admissions. Length of hospital stay ranged from a one day to 15 days.

Conclusions Pediatric dog bites can cause wide range of injuries frequently requiring operative intervention and can cause severe morbidity. Dog bite rates are high and it may be assumed that the current preventive measures are inadequate. A national dog-bite prevention and education campaign need to be developed with goal of decreasing pediatric dog bites.