Survival of child after lion attack

Abstract

Background:Injuries to humans caused by attacks from large predators are very rare, especially in the United States, Europe, or Latin America. A few cases were reported on accidents in zoos or animal farms, being very uncommon in children. The purposes of this report include describing the case of a child who sustained an attack by a lion named “Bang-Bang”, which resulted in injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen, as well as the subsequent neurosurgical treatment and providing a review of the literature.Case Description:We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who was attacked by a lion during a circus show. The patient underwent an emergent neurosurgical procedure, including parietal craniectomy, cleaning, and extensive surgical debridement of the wounds. Despite open severe head trauma with brain damage as well as thorax and abdomen trauma, the child survived, with minimal neurological sequelae.Conclusions:Human injury resulting from encounters with nondomesticated animals is increasingly rising throughout the world. This case highlights the potentially violent and aggressive nature of wild mammals held in captivity. Unusual wild animal attacks and the complex injuries that result may pose a challenge to surgeons practicing in resource-limited settings. In this sense, the best treatment in the mentioned case is the prevention of human injuries by these animals. In addition, to attend to these infrequent cases, the authors emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best cosmetic and functional results.

Traumatic injury patterns in humans from large feline predators: A systematic review and descriptive analysis

“…49 This is an important haemodynamic consideration for those delayed in seeking healthcare, which is likely in the rural locations these attacks occur. 55 The reasons for these time delays to attend a treatment facility in wild cases were not well documented, although the event was often remote from definitive facilities 6,21 (up to 30 miles 9 ) and in areas with poor access to transport. 9,22 Delays to definitive care also existed in high-income countries with transfers from local hospitals to specialist centres, 20,22 highlighting the need to recognise the complexity of these injuries at the scene.…”

“…Mandibular fracture 6,9,17,25,29,34,36 accounted for 70% of maxillofacial fractures, and the temporal and occipital bones were the most fractured of the calvarium. 21,22,29,30,36 Unique injury patterns per species Differences between species were found in the global fracture pattern, and bite locations of the neck. Fractures below the clavicles were more common in lions and tigers (Figure 5), the latter causing bilateral rib fractures, 35,36 a scapula fracture 35 and the only sternal fracture-dislocations in this review.…”

“…44,48 Paediatric and captivity analysis Paediatric injury patterns did not differ from adults, with primary head or neck injury remaining the dominant injury form in 78% of victims. 10,21,22,25,27,29,30 The sole paediatric fatality was due to polytrauma from a leopard in a 2-year-old female with major skull and neck wounds. 29 Head and neck also remained the most injured region irrespective of location or captivity (wild 56%, captive 73%).…”

“…Population demographics, activities and time of death in relation to the attack are recorded in Table 1, with a total of 50 survivors and 34 deaths, of which 10 were confirmed at the scene. There were nine 10,21,22,[25][26][27][28][29][30] paediatric cases of sufficient detail and only one paediatric fatality. 29 Pooled data from all cats: Anatomical injuries Of 84 included cases, 40 sustained their primary injury to the neck (Table 1, Group A), of which 29 were fatal.…”

Delayed death after hyena bite in a 3-year-old Tanzanian boy: the unique reality of neurosurgery in a resource-limited setting

“…The centers also provide care for an additional 13 million from the neighboring countries of Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 7 While animal attacks requiring neurosurgical intervention have been reported, 2,4,5 those that occur in LMICs present unique challenges. 1,11,12 Four prior reports exist that describe hyena injuries, 6,7,9,10 all from sub-Saharan Africa, totaling 18 cases spanning the ages of 5-50 years.…”