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Dog Bite Injuries On The Rise

Each year approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs. While the majority of dog bites do not require medical attention, thousands of dog bite victims are treated in emergency rooms and hospitals each year.

In fact, over a 16-year period, the number of people admitted to the hospital because of dog bites increased by 86 percent — from 5,100 to 9,500 hospital stays — between 1993 and 2008, according to a recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). No reason was given for the increase.

On average, 866 people had to go to the emergency department daily and 26 people, were admitted to the hospital daily for treatment of dog bites in 2008.

According to the report, seniors and young children were most likely to be hospitalized for a dog bite. For 65-84 year olds, there were 4.5 hospital stays per 100,000 people in 2008, for people age 85 and older, there were 4.2 stays per 100,000 and for children under 5 there were 4 stays per 100,000. Compared with urban residents, people in rural areas made 4 times as many emergency department visits for dog bites in 2008 (119 visits per 100,000 people versus 29 visits per 100,000 people). Rural residents also had 3 times as many hospital admissions (nearly 3 stays per 100,000 rural residents versus less than 1 stay per 100,000 urban residents).

About 43 percent of people hospitalized for dog bites required treatment for skin and underlying tissue infection; 22 percent had wounds of the legs or arms; 10.5 percent had wounds of the head, neck and torso; and the remaining patients had problems ranging from bone fracture to blood poisoning. More than half (58 percent) of all people who were hospitalized required a procedure such as wound debridement, sutures, and skin grafts.

Treating patients admitted for dog bites cost hospitals an average of $18,200 per patient and $54 million overall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these dog safety tips for children that should be reviewed regularly:

• Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
• Do not run from a dog and scream.
• Remain motionless (e.g., "be still like a tree") when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
• If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., "be still like a log").
• Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
• Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
• Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
• Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
• Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
• If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

For more on child safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach personal injury lawyer.




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