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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Take the CME quiz: Vol. 18 No. 4, April 1997 An erratum has been published Rapid Responses: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Garcia, V. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Garcia, V. F. Related Collections Infectious Diseases

(Pediatrics in Review. 1997;18:127-130.)
© 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics

Animal Bites and Pasturella Infections

	IMPORTANT POINTS

 

1. The majority of animal bites are minor.
   
2. Children more commonly are the victims of animal bites than adults and are predominantly bitten on the face and scalp by dogs and on the arms and hands by cats.
   
3. Cat bites are the second most common type of mammalian bite after dogs and have a nearly twofold greater incidence of infection than do dog bites.
   
4. Pasturella multocida is the most frequent organism seen in cat bite infections, but it can be seen in 26% of dog bite wounds. Other anaerobic and aerobic organisms involved in animal bites generally are sensitive to penicillin.
   
5. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid may provide better coverage for the potential pathogenic anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. If there is any risk of rabies, early prophylaxis should be instituted without waiting for clinical evidence of the disease.
   

	Introduction

 
It is estimated that 109 million dogs and cats are kept as domestic pets in the United States. The true incidence of mammalian bites is not known because many patients who are bitten by animals do not present to the emergency department. Fortunately, the majority (80%) of the estimated 2 million annual mammalian bites are minor wounds. Still, bite wounds account for approximately 1% of all emergency department visits: 10% of victims require suturing and follow-up visits and 1% to 2% require hospitalization. Mammalian bites account for about $30 million in annual health-care costs. Generally those who present to the emergency department are a self-selected group more likely to have serious wounds or infectious complications.

	Dog Bites

 
Dog bites account for 80% to 90% of animal bites. Fifty-eight percent of American families own a dog. Most dog bites are by dogs in the family; only 6% of bites are by stray dogs. The risk of being bitten by a dog varies with age; animal bites predominantly involve children. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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