The Management of Bite Wounds Persons who have been bitten by animals usually seek medical treatment either immediately or at some later time because of concern about local erythema and swelling or, less commonly, fever. In each of these situations, physicians must make a series of decisions about management that require a thorough understanding of the risks associated with both trauma and infection.
Animals can inflict serious, even fatal, injuries by biting.
Each year attacks by dogs cause 10 to 20 deaths in the United States, predominantly among children. In attending to patients who have been bitten, physicians must focus initially on diagnosing and treating any potentially life-threatening injuries, in accordance with standard guidelines. In most cases, physicians can rapidly rule out serious injuries and then must decide whether to close cutaneous wounds, weighing the cosmetic benefits against the increased risk of infection. Facial lacerations from dog bites or cat bites are almost always closed. Because any foreign material in a contaminated wound increases the risk of infection, subcutaneous sutures should be used sparingly.