Outlook

The 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 to doctors, so even infected human bites usually do quite well once proper treatment is started.