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Animal and Human Bites : How to Treat Them Properly

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If serious animal and human bites are not examined for and treated right once, they may become infected. If an animal or person has bitten you and the bite has broken the skin, you should always seek medical attention. Both humans and animals contain germs in their mouths that can infect them.

Steps to take if you have been bitten by an animal or human. 

Whether an animal or another person bit you please take the following steps:

  • Remove any things from the bite, such as hair or debris, and treat the wound right away with warm tap water. 
  • If the skin doesn't appear to be damaged, clean the wound. If the wound isn't bleeding freely, gently squeeze it to promote some bleeding.
  • If the wound is actively bleeding, apply pressure while covering it with a clean pad or sterile dressing.
  • Dry the wound and place a fresh dressing or plaster over it.
  • If you are experiencing discomfort, use medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin shouldn't be given to anyone under the age of sixteen.

Risk Factors

Please access immediate medical help if:

You were bitten by a person or an animal, and:

You were bitten on the head or face, and the cut is huge or deep; you cannot stop the bleeding.

Treatments

The wound will be examined by a doctor or nurse if you have been bitten by an animal or person.

They will take the following steps:

  • Clean the bite properly. If the wound is particularly filthy, it could be necessary to remove some of the afflicted area to lower the risk of infection.
  • Leave the wound open to heal or close it with stitches, adhesive strips, or special glue.
  • Offer you medications to prevent the infection of the wound
  • Check your risk of contracting tetanus and rabies; if necessary, therapy will be offered to prevent these dangerous infections.
  • If you've been bitten by someone, you can also be given the option to get a blood test to screen for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Complications of Animal and Human bites.

An infection may result from a bite that breaches the skin. Even though they seldom cause major problems when treated right away, these infections can occasionally spread to the blood or other body areas.

Serious bites should be examined, as it may be necessary to propose therapy to avoid severe illnesses.

The following signs point to an infected wound:

  • A fever of 38C (100.4F) or higher, sweats, and chills, along with redness and swelling around the wound, warmth and increasing pain when touched, and pus or liquid oozing from it are all possible symptoms.
  • Red streaks extending along the skin from the wound under the chin, in the neck, armpits, or groin swollen glands

 

For further information please access the following resources:

Emergency : +91 89686 77907

Front Desk : +91 98018 79584

Page last reviewed: Mar 6, 2023

Next review due: Mar 6, 2025

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