Faculty Collaboration Database

Life-threatening dog attacks: a devastating combination of penetrating and blunt injuries. J Pediatr Surg 2001 Aug;36(8):1115-7

Date

08/02/2001

Pubmed ID

11479838

DOI

10.1053/jpsu.2001.25670

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0034894339 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   63 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Children often are the victims of dog attacks. Although bite injuries sustained in an attack characteristically are attributed to the penetrating component of the bite, the blunt nature of a bite may represent the most serious and devastating component of injury. The purpose of this study was to characterize a group of children suffering life-threatening dog bites and examine the predominant aspect of injury.

METHODS: Thirty-nine children were admitted to the trauma service at a regional pediatric trauma center with the diagnosis of dog bite injury over a 6-year period (1994 through 1999). Patient demographics, site and description of injury, and surgical procedures performed were recorded from a chart review.

RESULTS: Mean age of the 35 children included for analysis was 5.4 years (range, 0.8 to 17 years). Twenty-five (71%) injuries occurred in the head and neck region. Eight (23%) children sustained life-threatening injuries. Of these, blunt force was the predominant injury in 6. This resulted in 1 (20%) arterial occlusion requiring vascular reconstruction, 2 (40%) permanent neurologic injuries (stroke, spinal cord transection), and 1 (20%) death (exsanguination).

CONCLUSIONS: On evaluation of a dog attack, the focus generally is on the obvious penetrating aspect of the bite. Yet, we found the blunt component of injury can have devastating consequences reflected in acute arterial, brain, and spinal cord injury. Even in the absence of significant penetrating trauma, further evaluation should be considered to exclude occult blunt arterial or neurologic injury.

Author List

Calkins CM, Bensard DD, Partrick DA, Karrer FM

Author

Casey Matthew Calkins MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Animals
Bites and Stings
Child
Child, Preschool
Colorado
Comorbidity
Critical Illness
Dogs
Emergency Treatment
Female
Humans
Incidence
Infant
Injury Severity Score
Male
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Trauma Centers
Wounds, Nonpenetrating
Wounds, Penetrating