The Golden First 24 Hours in Management of Facial Soft Tissue Injuries due to Dog Bites

Abstract

Background: As a plastic surgeons one of the most common problems we manage in the emergency department are facial soft tissue injuries due to dog bites. Infection represents one of the main complications of such type of trauma. The aim of our study was to establish recommendations for early treatment of such injuries based on analysis of our own cases with stressing on the importance of early management within the first 24 hours.Patients and Methods: 49 cases of facial soft tissue injuries due to dog bites were managed within the first 24 hours through proper surgical debridement, immediate primary closure with administration of the proper vaccines and proper antibiotic coverage.Results: Early management of facial soft tissue injuries due to dog bites markedly improved the rate of wound healingwithout increasing the risk of wound infection. Also operating fresh tissues before tissue inflammation or retraction allowed easier reconstruction and so better cosmetic results. Conclusion:Early proper wound cleaning, surgical debridement, immediate primary closure and the 3 A (Antirabies vaccine, Antitetanus vaccine, antibiotics) ensure satisfactory results in management of facial soft tissue injuries due to dog bites.