Assessment and Management of Animal Bites
- The majority of bites are from animals known to the victim, such as a pet or pet of an acquaintance.
- Providers should maintain a high level of suspicion for rabies when bites are unprovoked (from the point of view of the animal) or when the offending animal cannot be located or quarantined.
- All wounds are at risk for infection, but the organism most likely to cause infection is related to the species of animal that caused the bite.
- Amoxicillin-clavulanate is a good option for empiric therapy of all animal bites.
- Thorough wound assessment and irrigation is the mainstay of treatment for animal bites.
- HIV post exposure prophylaxis is generally not recommended for human bites, given the extremely low risk for transmission.
