Treatment and outcome of unusual animal bite injuries in young children

Abstract

Background. Animal bites are a major cause of preventable traumatic injuries. Objectives. To provide more epidemiological information on animal bites, and assist in increasing awareness of the problem. Methods. A retrospective chart review was performed including children aged >13 years presenting with bite injuries (excluding dog and human bites) to the trauma unit at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, over a 25-year period. Results. Two hundred and thirteen children were eligible to be entered into the study. The median age was 2.9 years (range 1.2 -6.5), with boys slightly predominating (54.9%). Most (74.6%) of the bite injuries were inflicted by mammals, the majority (64.8) of mammalian bites being rat bites. The proportions of boys and girls in the age group 0 -4 years bitten by rats significantly differed from the proportions in the age group >4 years (p=0.039). In the age group 0 -4 years more girls suffered rat bites, while more boys were bitten in the age group >4 years. Of 91 rat bites, 81 (89.0%) occurred inside the house. The hands (43.9%) and the head/face/neck region (39.0%) were most affected. The underdeveloped suburbs of Philippi, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha in Cape Town represented a disproportionate number (41.6%) of rat bites. Conclusions. There is a relationship between poverty, unemployment, poor housing, informal settlements and rodent infestation. These high-risk populations need to be the target for government rat eradication programmes.

Profile of dog bite injuries in patients presenting at Kimberley Hospital Complex’s emergency and gateway centres, 2015 to 2017

“…Literature has demonstrated a relationship between poverty, unemployment, poor housing and animal bites. 26 In this study, the rate of dog bite injuries was higher in spring and summer. A likely explanation may be the increase in the number of children and adults outside during summer holidays and festive seasons.…”

“…24,25,27 In children, head, neck, and upper extremity are the more affected anatomical sites. 1,26,31 The WHO's classification category II injuries (59.4%) were found to be the commonest exposure category consistent with a South African study, 25 but contradicting a similar study performed in India which revealed the dominance of category III exposure. 28 In this investigation, most cases (92.6%) received an anti-rabies vaccine and 94.2% a dose of tetanus toxoid.…”

A Systematised Review of the Health Impact of Urban Informal Settlements and Implications for Upgrading Interventions in South Africa, a Rapidly Urbanising Middle-Income Country

“…In addition, many residents are unable to afford maintenance and cleaning costs for their dwelling units, resulting in mould growth, and the presence of pests [48]. Pests, such as rats, ticks, bedbugs, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and fleas are common to informal settlements [52,53,54,55]. In a cross-sectional study investigating household pesticide use, 89% of children exposed to pesticides and presenting with atopic dermatitis were from informal settlements [52].…”

Niños con mordeduras de animales hospitalizados en un centro de referencia de Uruguay

“…Las mordeduras de animales a niños constituyen un importante problema de salud [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . Pueden producir lesiones de diversa gravedad, con riesgo de secuelas cicatriciales, funcionales, complicaciones infecciosas y daño psicoemocional, con elevados costos sanitarios [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] .…”

“…Las consecuencias para la salud humana dependen de la especie animal involucrada, del estado de salud del animal, de la edad y el estado de salud del niño víctima de la mordedura y de la capacidad de acceder a una atención sanitaria adecuada y oportuna 4,7,9,10,12 . Los niños pueden sufrir mordeduras de un gran número de especies animales; sin embargo, las más importantes en frecuencia son las causadas por perros y animales silvestres [3][4][5][6][7]9 .…”