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Animal and Human Bites of the Hand


Bites are extremely common and can cause significant pain, damage tissues, and result in infection.  Early treatment helps to take care of the injury and prevents future problems.

Infections from animal or human bites are caused by bacteria from the mouth; severity of the infection depends on the type and location of the wound, whether you have any medical problems that might make you less able to fight an infection (diabetes, HIV, etc.), delayed treatment, a foreign body (tooth, clothing, etc.) in the wound, and which animal caused the bite.

Animal Bites

  1. BulletAs many as three million animal bites occur in the U.S. each year; 90% of these are from dogs, 5% from cats, 2% from rodents, and the remainder from other animals.

  2. BulletMost are on fingers of dominant hand of children ages 5-14

  3. BulletCat bites are more likely to cause infection (deep puncture wounds)

  4. Bullet6% of cat bites and 1% of dog bites require hospitalization

  5. BulletRabies is rarely caused by domestic animals (house pets) in the U.S. (90% spread by wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes)

Human Bites

  1. BulletHuman bite wounds actually have the highest risk of infection!

  2. Bullet“Fight bite,” or when a tooth punctures your “knuckle,” can lead to a joint infection that can destroy the cartilage in that joint.

Concerning Symptoms
:

  1. BulletSwelling

  2. BulletRedness

  3. BulletWarmth

  4. BulletPain after 24 hours

  5. BulletDraining pus

  6. BulletRed streaks up the arm

  7. BulletSwollen “glands”

  8. BulletLoss of motion or sensation

  9. Bullet“Constitutional symptoms” like fever, malaise, fever, night sweats, rigors


Treatment

  1. BulletTell your doctor the story of how you were bitten, including the vaccination status of the animal (if known), time and location of event, etc.  Your doctor will examine the bite and surrounding areas.

  2. BulletIf you have not had a booster shot within ten years, you might need a tetanus shot.

  3. BulletX-rays may be used to identify any damage to the bones and joints or tooth fragments that may be embedded.

  4. BulletTreatment includes cleaning of the wound, antibiotics (depending on circumstance), and possibly hospitalization.  Certain injuries might require hand surgery.

  5. BulletFollow-up with a hand surgeon to ensure that the infection is clearing or not existent and to restore the most function possible.


Read more in Fox 2 Detroit’s Ladies Room: Once Bitten, Twice Infected-Animal Bites.html