Demirtaş, Erdal Malatya State Hospital, Turkey , Güler, Sertaç Ankara Training and Research Hospital - Department of Emergency Medicine, Turkey , Duymaz, Hikmet Ankara Training and Research Hospital - Department of Emergency Medicine, Turkey , Soyuduru, Murat Düzce Atatürk State Hospital - Department of Emergency Medicine, Turkey , Kınıklı, Sami Ankara Training and Research Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Turkey , Coşkun, Figen Kırıkkale University - Faculty of Medicine - Deopartment of Emergency Medicine, Turkey

Evaluation of animal-related injuries from the perspective of 7423 cases admitted to Emergency Department

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Objective: Animal-related injuries are major issues of public health in all over the world and in our country as well. These animal-related injuries may result in serious complications like infections. In our study we aimed to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics, the features of contact related to animal bites or exposure to rabies risk, prophylactic treatment strategies and appropriateness of post-exposure prophylaxis in patients with animal-related injuries. Method: This study was retrospectively designed by collecting data of the patients with animal related and bite wound injuries admitted to the emergency department of Ankara Training and Research Hospital during the years of 2010 and 2011. The data was analysed by using SPSS 11.5 software programme. Results: The study was consisted of 7423 patients. Animal related injuries were mostly seen in male patients (66.4%) and the mean age of the patients was 31±18. These injuries were mostly during spring and summer. In 80.8% of the patients the injuries were due to animal bites. Of the 7423 patients; 69.8% were injured by dogs, 27.5% by cats and 0.2% by wild animals. The location of the bite wounds were in the upper extremities in 51.6%, lower extremit ies in 39.7%, head and neck in 4.6%, chest in 2.4% and back in 1.7% of the patients. Lacerations were the most common type of injury. Of the patients 43.6% received 2+1+1 rabies vaccination schedule, 7.1% received 2+1+1 rabies vaccination schedule and immunoglobulin, 12.9% received 5 dosage vaccination schedule. Of the patients 34.4% followed up for 10 days without any rabies prophylaxis. Conclusions: According to the results of our study; most of the animal related injuries are caused by dogs. Dogs mostly cause bite injuries whereas cats cause scatch injuries. Wounds are located generally in the extremities. Head and neck injuries are more common in pediatric group compared with other age groups. Rabies prophylaxis application strategies were changed if the dogs were owned or not and according to the existence of the lesion.

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Domestic animals , wild animals , wounds and injuries , lacerations , emergency department (MeSH Database)

Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

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