Dog bites can be traumatic and painful experiences that can leave physical and emotional scars. However, as long as adequate, timely and appropriate treatment is given in most cases prognosis is excellent. Although no exact figure of 60-90% of bites is caused by dogs and between one-third and one-half bites occur in children. In 70% of these cases victims are bitten by their own dogs or dogs they know. According to one report, in the UK, you are more likely to be killed by lightning strikes than you are to dog attacks!
First Aid for Bites:
Before you begin treating the victim make sure it is safe for you and the victim. Make sure the dog is not around to either take the victim or get the dog owner to remove the dog and either chain or close it from you. You should look up the owner's name and address, breed and dog immunization status if possible as this may be useful if further treatment or action is needed.
Try to stop the bleeding but only use tourniquets as a last resort for severe bleeding that cannot be controlled otherwise. If possible keep the injured part above the heart to control the bleeding.
The mouth carries many bacteria that can cause infection to the wound so it is important to thoroughly clean the wound with boiling water and cool for 5-10 minutes. Running water is best not to soak up areas in the changing water (you should wear gloves when doing this to protect yourself).
Do not apply antibacterial lotions on animal bites as some bacteria in saliva can really reproduce, or reproduce quickly in short intervals, in certain creams. Some can even damage skin tissues and heal.
Apply pressure directly to the wound with a clean cloth. Dress with a non-stick, sterile and bandage gauze. Note the signs of infection, if they develop up to 48 hours after the bite you should see your doctor. Bites, by definition, break down the skin allowing bacteria from the saliva in the animal's mouth to absorb into open wounds and can cause infection. Antibiotic prophylaxis is usually given. Prophylaxis is a Greek word meaning precursor; in medical terms it means that measures are taken to maintain health and prevent the spread of disease or condition.
If any part is completely destroyed during an attack (such as an ear) then you need to wrap the inside of a clean tissue paper, store it in a plastic bag surrounded by ice and take it to the hospital.
Signs and symptoms of infection:
- Pain around the wound
- Redness
- Gentle
- Swollen
- Pussy or discharge
- Fever
- The gland is swollen
The wound should be covered with sterile bandages that leave the surrounding area visible so you can monitor the signs of the spread. Try to make sure the wound is raised and supported. See your doctor as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
The risk of infection is particularly high in causes, hand injuries, full-thickness injuries, those requiring surgical intervention, and injuries involving joints, tendons, ligaments and bone fractures. Also infections are more likely if the wound is deep or dirty, or if there is a lot of blood under the wound.
Certain factors make some people more susceptible to infection:
- Diabetes mellitus. (Increased risk of Pasteurella infection)
- Alcoholics. (Increased risk of Pasteurella infection)
- Cirrhosis or scarring.
- People who have steroid therapy. (Increased risk of Pasteurella infection)
- Rheumatoid arthritis. (Increased risk of Pasteurella infection)
- Lymphoedema after radiotherapy. (Increased risk of Pasteurella infection)
- Asplenia which is the absence of normal spleen function.
- The wound lasted more than six hours.
- The tissue is organized.
- Previous injury.
- Full thickness wounds involving tendons, joints or ligaments.
- Bites on limbs especially the hands.
- People with immune systems that compromise on drugs or disease.
Pasteurella is a bacterium found in most animals. If the wound is infected by this bacteria then the wound becomes red and inflamed, this occurs quickly: within 24 hours there is significant pain and swelling. Sometimes it can lead to pneumonia or other respiratory infections; very rarely cause kidney infection or meningitis. If it is treated immediately with antibiotics then the prognosis is good. However, if there is an untreated infection, it can spread to bloodstream causing blood poisoning, or causing swelling, strengthening joints and tissue damage.
Complications:
Scarring. In children, dog bites often affect the face, potentially leading to severe injuries (wounds) and scars.
Infections:
- Such as tetanus, rabies, septicemia, septic arthritis, tendonitis, peritonitis, meningitis and osteomyelitis are bone infections.
- Infectious infections occur in 2-30% of dog bites.
- Infections from bites are polymicrobial, (more than one species is involved) often including anaerobes that can survive without oxygen. Common bacteria include Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Eikenella, Pasteurella, Proteus, Klebsiella, Haemophilus, Entrobacter, Capnocytophaga, Canimorsus and Bacteroides.
Broken.
Disfigurement.
If you have bites overseas then you may be at risk for rabies. Currently the UK is largely free of rabies (though some bats carry the disease in the UK), but it is common in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and some cases are reported in Eastern Europe. Rabies is a serious disease that can be fatal to humans so if you are bitten or scratched overseas, you should seek medical attention immediately even if you do not think you have any rabies that is almost undetectable early. You will need to contact the Health Protection Center for Infections or Health Protection Scotland. Staff need to know:
- The status of the previous vaccine
- The country where you were bitten
- Site and date of bite
- Whether the attack was provoked or not
- Whether it's domestic or wild dogs
- The current health of this animal if known.
Treatment for the prevention of rabies is called post-exposure prophylaxis and it involves 1 dose of rabies immunoglobulin (this is a blood product that contains antibodies against rabies) and 5 doses of rabies vaccine. If prophylaxis is needed, it can usually be obtained from such centers as rabies vaccine (injected into the muscle) and human rabies immunoglobulin.
Hospital Treatment:
About one in five bitten dogs get medical attention, only 1% require hospitalization.
Some bites can be serious and require more attention than just first aid. Also injuries can be more widespread than they appear to be mainly injured because they are small but deep and can damage tendons or joints. Wounds can be a bit tricky as bites can involve sheering forces: the dog puts the teeth into your skin, you react with tears and tears. You should see your doctor if:
The bite is:
- hands,
- feet,
- joints,
- tendon,
- ligaments
- scalp,
- face,
- ears,
- that nose,
- You need antibiotics; you also have to admit to the hospital.
- You think the infection has grown or may have grown.
- You experience non-stop bleeding after 15 minutes of continuous pressure
- You think you have bone or nerve damage
- You are not up to date with your tetanus vaccine
- You were bitten by a dog with an unknown immunization status
When you see a doctor, they can ask for the following information:
- Dog breeds. This is particularly important because larger dog bites tend to damage deeper structures such as tendons or bones.
- Animal health status
- The time and location of the event
- Condition (i.e. provoked or unprovoked attacks.)
- Animal location right now
- Any pre-hospital treatment
- Any factors that may compromise immunity such as HIV or steroid therapy
- Any recent antibiotics (if the infection is in the antibiotic taking the patient then this may suggest infection due to resistant organisms)
Your wounds need to be washed with normal saline or drinking water to remove impurities and bacteria. If the wound is contaminated then 1% providone solution is used because it is better than saline. The providone is diluted so that it is nutritious but not toxic to the tissue. If you have not been immunized against tetanus in the last 5-8 years, a booster shot is usually given. However, tetanus from dog bites is rare.
Sometimes debridements are required that involve the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissues, either by surgical, mechanical, chemical or autolytic (digestive) means. Dead or damaged skin needs to be removed because it is a good place to be infected. Debridements also help to remove any blood clots or foreign bodies that may be inserted into the wound. Cleaning wounds and debridements is more important than medicine in many cases.
When the wound has been properly cleaned then the main suturing (suture) can be done. This is great for facial wounds as there is an excellent blood supply to speed healing. Severe wounds may need to be stitched, glued or held together by the stereo strip. Suturing can help prevent scarring and improve cosmetic results. However, some wounds may be left open for several days to ensure that they are not infected before closing. The 3-5-day delayed closure is usually done in cases where the bite is in the hands, those with crushing injuries, debridement wounds and larger wounds lasting more than six hours. During this time, they should be sterile, with no adhesive to prevent bacteria from entering the wound and causing infection.
Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection and should protect against Pasteurella bacteria, anaerobes and staphylococci. Initially this can be given intravenously by dripping into the veins. Antibiotics are useful for:
- All wounds after the main closure
- Liquid wounds
- Big wounds
- Bite to hands and wrists. Antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduces the risk of infections on the hands, but they may not be effective elsewhere.
- Bites in advance
- The wound was destroyed with a scar tissue
- Wounds that require surgical debridement
- Wounds involving joints, tendons, ligaments or fractures
- Dog injuries bite the genitals
- High-risk patients such as those with diabetes, those with compromised immune systems, splenectomy, those undergoing chemotherapy, splenectomy, artificial heart valves, rheumatoid arthritis and those with prosthetic joints.
In mild infections co-amoxiclav is usually prescribed as the first treatment. However, antibiotics are usually not needed for bites that are 2 days old and do not show any signs of infection: infections are usually developed at this time when bacteria are present.
1- Illuminatural6i™ Advanced Skin Lightener
2- Kollagen Intensiv™ - Accelerate Your NATURAL Collagen Production In Just 84 Days
3- Instant Wrinkle Reducer™
4-Dermefface FX 7™ - Scar Reduction Therapy
5- ClearPores - Improve the way you look
6- Phyto350 - Fill In Wrinkles From the Inside Out!
7- Intensive Stretch Mark Therapy - Visibly Reduce The Appearance Of Stretch Marks
8- Age-Defying Eye Therapy - Get Rid Of Crow's Feet, Laugh Lines And Dark Circles
9- Rosacea Relief Serum - Long-Term Relief For Dry, Itchy And Inflamed Facial Skin
10- Argan Oil - Cold Pressed Cosmetic Argan Oil
11- Feel Better. Look Better. Live Better.
12- Hersolution Booty Sculpt System - The Complete Sculpt, Firming & Smoothing Anit-Aging System
14- Stop Grow™ - Say Goodbye to Unwanted Body Hair!
15- GenF20™ - Look Younger, Feel Younger, Stay Younger With HGH
16- GenFX™ - Live Your Life to the Fullest with GenFX
No comments:
Post a Comment