Human Bites (cont.)
Medical Author:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEPDr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident. Medical Editor:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications. IN THIS ARTICLE
Human Bites PrognosisThe best way to ensure a good outcome of a human bite is to receive needed treatment before infection can set in. Infected bites, especially the closed fist injury and other bites of the hand, can cause permanent damage and interfere with normal function. Infections of the ear and nose cartilage can be very hard to treat. Fortunately, there are many powerful antibiotics available, so even infected human bites usually do quite well once proper treatment is started. All human bites that break the skin need to be evaluated for the risk of transmission of HIV and the need for a tetanus booster. |
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Human Bites »
Human bite wounds are notoriously deceptive and are perhaps the most potentially disastrous type of bite wound because of the abundant pathogenic oral flora found in humans.
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