ANIMAL BITES

Course overview

ANIMAL BITES ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE PERCENT OF ALL EMERGENCY VISITS IN THE U.S. YEARLY AND CAN RANGE FROM SUPERFICIAL INJURIES TO DISFIGURING AND EVEN FATAL WOUNDS. EVEN RELATIVELY MINOR WOUNDS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BECOME INFECTED. THEREFORE, ALL BITES SHOULD BE EVALUATED CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY WITH AN AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS. DOG AND CAT BITES ARE THE MOST PREVALENT ANIMAL BITES IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACCOUNT FOR OVER 95 PERCENT OF ALL BITE WOUNDS SEEN IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.