Human Bites in Emergency Medicine Workup

  • Author: Jeffrey Barrett, MD; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Apr 8, 2010
 

Laboratory Studies

  • Routine laboratory studies: These are generally not indicated because the injured population is usually young and healthy. Diagnosis of infection is clinical.
  • Wound culture: Microbiology of human bite wounds is fairly consistent, yet an untreated infected bite generally is cultured if purulence is present.
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Imaging Studies

  • Radiography
    • In closed-fist injuries, an underlying metacarpal head fracture is possible. This may dictate inpatient treatment.
    • Infected bites of the hand of some duration may have evidence of osteomyelitis on plain radiographs.
    • If history indicates that a tooth was broken during the incident, a radiograph may be indicated to examine for a foreign body.
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Procedures

  • Wound care
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Proceed to Treatment & Management
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Jeffrey Barrett, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine

Jeffrey Barrett, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

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.

Clifford S Spanierman, MD  Consulting Staff, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Lutheran General Hospital of Oak Brook, Advocate Health System

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Samuel M Keim, MD  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Samuel M Keim, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

James Steven Walker, DO, MS  Clinical Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

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.

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

Rick Kulkarni, MD  Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

References

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  19. Turner TW. Evidence-based emergency medicine/systematic review abstract. Do mammalian bites require antibiotic prophylaxis?. Ann Emerg Med. Sep 2004;44(3):274-6. [Medline].

 
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