Table 3.
Treatments and anatomic sites of animal-to-human bites, Los Angeles County, California, 2009-2011a
| Dog-to-Human Bites, No. (%) | Other Animal-to-Human Bites,b No. (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | All Bites, No. (%) | 2009-2011 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2009-2011 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Total | 26 169 (100) | 23 103 (100) | 7503 (100) | 7797 (100) | 7803 (100) | 3066 (100) | 1042 (100) | 1019 (100) | 1005 (100) |
| Treatment of bite | |||||||||
| Unknown | 8298 (32) | 7408 (32) | 2525 (34) | 2695 (35) | 2188 (28) | 890 (29) | 309 (30) | 331 (32) | 250 (25) |
| Oral antibiotics | 6890 (26) | 6029 (26) | 1969 (26) | 1926 (25) | 2134 (27) | 861 (28) | 302 (29) | 277 (27) | 282 (28) |
| Cleaned wound | 6660 (25) | 5814 (25) | 2038 (27) | 1646 (21) | 2130 (27) | 846 (28) | 273 (26) | 275 (27) | 298 (30) |
| Unspecified wound care | 5257 (20) | 4661 (20) | 1226 (16) | 1745 (22) | 1690 (22) | 596 (19) | 202 (19) | 194 (19) | 200 (20) |
| Tetanus vaccination | 4115 (16) | 3701 (16) | 1322 (18) | 1175 (15) | 1204 (15) | 414 (14) | 161 (15) | 134 (13) | 119 (12) |
| Sutures | 2277 (9) | 2240 (10) | 733 (10) | 727 (9) | 780 (10) | 37 (1) | 8 (1) | 8 (1) | 21 (2) |
| Dressed wound | 2152 (8) | 1948 (8) | 579 (8) | 433 (6) | 936 (12) | 204 (7) | 52 (5) | 56 (5) | 96 (10) |
| Antibiotic ointment | 1331 (5) | 1161 (5) | 412 (5) | 312 (4) | 437 (6) | 170 (6) | 58 (6) | 61 (6) | 51 (5) |
| Unspecified medication | 1070 (4) | 967 (4) | 238 (3) | 327 (4) | 402 (5) | 103 (3) | 33 (3) | 18 (2) | 52 (5) |
| Pain medication | 783 (3) | 738 (3) | 200 (3) | 233 (3) | 305 (4) | 45 (1) | 13 (1) | 16 (2) | 16 (2) |
| X-ray | 577 (2) | 532 (2) | 159 (2) | 164 (2) | 209 (3) | 45 (1) | 19 (2) | 11 (1) | 15 (1) |
| Examined wound | 377 (1) | 347 (2) | 106 (1) | 61 (1) | 180 (2) | 30 (1) | 13 (1) | 6 (1) | 11 (1) |
| Other, including splints | 370 (1) | 328 (1) | 87 (1) | 50 (1) | 191 (2) | 42 (1) | 7 (1) | 8 (1) | 27 (3) |
| None | 360 (1) | 299 (1) | 91 (1) | 83 (1) | 125 (2) | 61 (2) | 18 (2) | 19 (2) | 24 (2) |
| Treatment by victim | 247 (1) | 195 (1) | 43 (1) | 39 (1) | 113 (1) | 52 (2) | 8 (1) | 10 (1) | 34 (3) |
| Surgery | 133 (1) | 121 (1) | 37 (<1) | 39 (1) | 45 (1) | 12 (<1) | 4 (<1) | 5 (<1) | 3 (<1) |
| Rabies postexposure prophylaxis | 77 (<1) | 22 (<1) | 6 (<1) | 7 (<1) | 9 (<1) | 55 (2) | 12 (1) | 19 (2) | 24 (2) |
| Emergency room | 73 (<1) | 67 (<1) | 32 (<1) | 20 (<1) | 15 (<1) | 6 (<1) | 0 (0) | 2 (<1) | 4 (<1) |
| Basic laboratory work | 35 (<1) | 25 (<1) | 6 (<1) | 5 (<1) | 14 (<1) | 10 (<1) | 1 (<1) | 2 (<1) | 7 (1) |
| Victim refused treatment | 29 (<1) | 22 (<1) | 3 (<1) | 11 (<1) | 8 (<1) | 7 (<1) | 0 (0) | 1 (<1) | 6 (1) |
| Sedation | 14 (<1) | 12 (<1) | 3 (<1) | 4 (<1) | 5 (<1) | 2 (<1) | 0 (0) | 2 (<1) | 0 (0) |
| Anatomic site of bite | |||||||||
| Hands | 9130 (35) | 7148 (31) | 2260 (30) | 2457 (32) | 2431 (31) | 1982 (65) | 664 (64) | 689 (68) | 629 (63) |
| Lower extremity (legs) | 7501 (29) | 7220 (31) | 2330 (31) | 2466 (32) | 2424 (31) | 281 (9) | 102 (10) | 81 (8) | 98 (10) |
| Upper extremity (arms) | 5011 (19) | 4327 (19) | 1409 (19) | 1467 (19) | 1451 (19) | 684 (22) | 225 (22) | 220 (22) | 239 (24) |
| Head | 3710 (14) | 3606 (16) | 1147 (15) | 1263 (16) | 1196 (15) | 104 (3) | 35 (3) | 26 (3) | 43 (4) |
| Body, torso | 961 (4) | 936 (4) | 315 (4) | 317 (4) | 304 (4) | 25 (1) | 10 (1) | 8 (1) | 7 (1) |
| Unknown | 861 (3) | 715 (3) | 340 (5) | 116 (1) | 259 (3) | 146 (5) | 58 (6) | 38 (4) | 50 (5) |
| Feet | 564 (2) | 508 (2) | 165 (2) | 187 (2) | 156 (2) | 56 (2) | 19 (2) | 18 (2) | 19 (2) |
| Other (eg, scrotum) | 440 (2) | 434 (2) | 133 (2) | 135 (2) | 166 (2) | 6 (<1) | 1 (<1) | 3 (<1) | 2 (<1) |
| Hospitalizations | 267 (1) | 234 (1) | 57 (1) | 72 (1) | 105 (1) | 33 (1) | 7 (1) | 12 (1) | 14 (1) |
aData source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Veterinary Public Health and Rabies Control animal bites surveillance data, 2009-2011. Excludes bites reported in the cities of Pasadena, Long Beach, and Vernon, which have their own public health departments and rabies control protocols.
bIncludes bat, bear, cat, cattle, coyote, donkey, elephant seal, ferret, horse, monkey, opossum, orangutan, pig, raccoon, sea lion, seal, and skunk.