eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Environmental

Bites, Animal: Multimedia

Author: Alisha Perkins Garth, MD, Staff Physician, Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital
Coauthor(s): N Stuart Harris, MD, FACEP, Assistant Professor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital; Attending Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 25, 2009

Multimedia

The devastating damage sustained by a preadolesce...
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Media file 1: The devastating damage sustained by a preadolescent male during a pit bull attack. Almost lost in this photograph is the soft tissue damage to this victim's thigh. This patient required 2 units of O- blood and several liters of isotonic crystalloid. Repair of these wounds required a pediatric surgeon, an experienced orthopedic surgeon, and a plastic surgeon. Attacks such as these have caused a movement in some areas of the country to ban pit bulls.
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The devastating damage sustained by a preadolesce...

The devastating damage sustained by a preadolescent male during a pit bull attack. Almost lost in this photograph is the soft tissue damage to this victim's thigh. This patient required 2 units of O- blood and several liters of isotonic crystalloid. Repair of these wounds required a pediatric surgeon, an experienced orthopedic surgeon, and a plastic surgeon. Attacks such as these have caused a movement in some areas of the country to ban pit bulls.

Massive soft tissue damage of the right leg cause...
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Media file 2: Massive soft tissue damage of the right leg caused by a pit bull attack. This patient was transferred to a level one pediatric trauma center for care. At times, staff members may need counseling after caring for savagely mauled patients.
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Massive soft tissue damage of the right leg cause...

Massive soft tissue damage of the right leg caused by a pit bull attack. This patient was transferred to a level one pediatric trauma center for care. At times, staff members may need counseling after caring for savagely mauled patients.

Massive soft tissue damage of the lower left leg ...
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Media file 3: Massive soft tissue damage of the lower left leg caused by a pit bull attack. Most of the fatalities from dog bites are children. Rottweilers and pit bulls are responsible for about 60% of fatalities.
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Massive soft tissue damage of the lower left leg ...

Massive soft tissue damage of the lower left leg caused by a pit bull attack. Most of the fatalities from dog bites are children. Rottweilers and pit bulls are responsible for about 60% of fatalities.

A different angle of the patient in Image 3 showi...
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Media file 4: A different angle of the patient in Image 3 showing the massive soft tissue damage to this child's left lower leg. Pit bull attacks are not rare.
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A different angle of the patient in Image 3 showi...

A different angle of the patient in Image 3 showing the massive soft tissue damage to this child's left lower leg. Pit bull attacks are not rare.

Wounds to the left arm inflicted during a pit bul...
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Media file 5: Wounds to the left arm inflicted during a pit bull attack. This young patient was also bitten once on the left side of his face.
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Wounds to the left arm inflicted during a pit bul...

Wounds to the left arm inflicted during a pit bull attack. This young patient was also bitten once on the left side of his face.

More on Bites, Animal

Overview: Bites, Animal
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Bites, Animal
Treatment & Medication: Bites, Animal
Follow-up: Bites, Animal
Multimedia: Bites, Animal
References
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References

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  2. Chambers GH, Payne JF. Treatment of dog bite wounds. Minn Med. 1969;52:427-430. [Medline].

  3. Freer L. Bites and injuries inflicted by wild and domestic animals. In: Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Mosby; 2007:1133-55.

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  15. Gilbert DN, Moellering RC, Eliopoulos FM, Sande MA, eds. Bites. In: The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy. 37th ed. 2007:46,47,140.

  16. Guy RJ, Zook EG. Successful treatment of acute head and neck dog bite wounds without antibiotics. Ann Plast Surg. Jul 1986;17(1):45-8. [Medline].

  17. Trott A. Bite wounds. In: Wounds and Lacerations Emergency Care and Closure. 2nd ed. St Louis, Mo: Mosby-Year Book Inc; 1997:265-84.

  18. Weber EJ. Mammalian bites. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Mosby; 2006:906-21.

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Further Reading

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Keywords

animal bites, animal bite management, wound management, animal bite treatment, animal bite infection, bite wound, animal bite wound, dog bite, cat bite, pet bite, wild animal bite, bite wound infection, bite-related infection, mammal bites, rodent bites, ferret bites, rabbit bites, pit bull bite, cellulitis, rabies, septic arthritis, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pasteurella, Bacteroides, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Eikenella, Enterobacter, Proteus, Haemophilus, Klebsiella, Actinomyces, Fusobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium, Wolinella, Propionibacterium, osteomyelitis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Alisha Perkins Garth, MD, Staff Physician, Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital
Alisha Perkins Garth, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

N Stuart Harris, MD, FACEP, Assistant Professor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital; Attending Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
N Stuart Harris, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, International Society for Mountain Medicine, and Massachusetts Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robert M McNamara, MD, FAAEM, Chair and Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine
Robert M McNamara, MD, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Association, Pennsylvania Medical Society, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

James Steven Walker, DO, MS, Clinical Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
James Steven Walker, DO, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, and American Osteopathic Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Jonathan Adler, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Jonathan Adler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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