Facial Dog Bite Injury

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe exposed position compounded by the short stature of children makes the face very vulnerable to dog bite injuries. Unlike wounds inflicted by assaults and accidents, animal bite wounds are distinctive as they are puncture type deep wounds which are injected by the bite force, with an inoculum of pathogenic bacteria from the saliva of the attacking dog. Hence, these wounds are at high-risk of infection which is further aggravated by the presence of crushed devitalized tissue, an outcome of the bite force. The key points in successful management of facial dog bites, are thorough cleansing of the wound, meticulous but not overzealous debridement, primary closure, appropriate antibiotic therapy and tetanus and rabies immunization where indicated. A case of a 8-year-old child who had succumbed to multiple facial bite injuries is presented. She was managed by a primary one stage closure with good esthetic and functional outcome.How to cite this articleNatarajan S, Galinde JS, Asnani U, Sidana S, Ramaswami R. Facial Dog Bite Injury. J Contemp Dent 2012;2(2):34-38