ePoster
Presentation Description
Institution: Broome Regional Hospital - Western Australia, Australia
Purpose: Dog bite injuries are a preventable yet common cause of animal related hospitalisation. This study describes the demographics, clinical presentation and short-term outcomes of patients presenting with dog bite related injuries to Broome Regional Hospital (BRH) across a two-year period.
Methodology: A retrospective cohort study examined all dog bite related injuries presenting to BRH between July 1st 2021 – June 30th 2023. Patients with “dog” AND “bitten OR bite” in their Emergency Department (ED) electronic triage records were included. Data was collected from chart review.
Results: After exclusions, 207 patients were identified during the two-year study period; approximately two dog bites per week. Median age was 32 (IQR: 32, range 1-97 years old). Adult patients represented 80% of the cohort. There was no gender predilection, with 47% of patients being female. Residents of the Kimberley represented 78% of included cases. Dogs that belonged to or were known to patients were involved in 73% of the cases. Adult patients were most commonly bitten on the leg (33%) or hand (22%), whilst children were most commonly bitten on the face (48%). Most patients received antibiotics (79%) and were discharged on the day of presentation (83%). Imaging was utilised in 16% of patients. There were 25 patients who required repair in the ED or operating theatre. Seven patients required transfer for tertiary level care and 16 patients re-presented to the ED with clinical concerns.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that dog bite trauma is prevalent in the remote Kimberley region and consumes significant health resources. Greater action is needed among local governments and the public to address this health burden
Speakers
Authors
Authors
Dr Jamie Cransberg - , Dr Joshua Briotti - , Dr Rama Chidambaram - , Dr Sana Nasim -