Acute Osteomyelitis in the Hand Due to Dog Bite Injury: A Report of 3 Cases

Abstract

As many people keep small dogs as pets, dog bites are common injuries, accounting for approximately 80%–90% of all animal bite injuries. These injuries usually occur on the upper extremities, most commonly on the fingers. Most of these injuries appear as simple lacerations or abrasions of the skin. Common symptoms include inflammatory reactions of the soft tissue, such as pain, swelling, erythema, and cellulitis. However, the complications of small dog bites may include joint or cartilage injuries, including acute osteomyelitis. Once osteomyelitis develops, it is difficult to diagnose since it has a latency period of approximately 2 weeks. Plain radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and 3-phase bone scans should be performed when acute osteomyelitis is suspected, and broad-spectrum empiric antibiotic treatment should be administered for approximately 8–12 weeks. We report 3 very rare cases of acute osteomyelitis that occurred after a dog bite injury.

Domestic Dog and Cat Bites: Epidemiology and Analysis of 823 Cases over the Last 5 Years

“…In 2013, Lee et al [5] studied 68 patients who sustained mammalian bites mostly resulting in facial trauma. For osteomyelitis caused by animal bites, there have been two case reports, by Lim et al [4] in 2016, and by Lee et al [6] in 2017. As few studies had included large patient populations, we conducted a study that compared bite distributions across various factors in a larger patient population.…”

“…1) [2,3]. Although there have been some studies on animal bites in Korea [3][4][5][6], there has been no statistical analysis of the large number of animal bites observed along with the recent increase in pet population.…”

Rapidly Progressive Infection of Hand After a Cat Bite

“…Sometimes, X-rays or MRI are performed in order to detect any residual teeth from an animal bite or further detectable debris. X-ray examination is a commonly used modality, because it is inexpensive and easy to perform; however, it has low specificity in the detection of an infection, especially osteomyelitis [12]. In this case, we performed only surgical debridement and necrectomy including antibiotic therapy, clinical-laboratory follow-up.…”

Polytrauma from a North American Black Bear Attack

“…35,36 Providers should consider the possibility of underlying osteomyelitis when choosing the initial antibiotic regimen; however, data on treatment of osteomyelitis from animal bite wounds are limited. 31,39,40 Although black bears are not the most common vector of rabies, cases have been reported in several US states and Canada. [41][42][43] The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend rabies immunization for victims of wild carnivore attacks.…”