The incidence of public sector hospitalisations due to dog bites in Australia 2001–2013

Rajshekar, Mithun; Blizzard, Leigh; Julian, Roberta; Williams, Anne-Marie; Tennant, Marc; Forrest, Alex Stewart; Walsh, L. J.; Wilson, Gary

doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12630

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Each year more than 100 000 Australians are injured by dogs (1). Dog bites account for 60.7 per 10 000 Emergency Department (ED) presentations in the paediatric population, and 12.9 per 10 000 ED presentations in the adult population (2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antibiotic prescribing in patients who presented to the emergency department with dog bites: A descriptive review of current practice

Baxter

Denny²,

Keijzers

2020

Emerg Medicine Australasia

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Objective: To describe the current practice of prophylactic antibiotic prescribing for patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with a dog bite, and compare management against existing guidelines. Method: We performed a descriptive retrospective study on all consecutive patients who presented to one tertiary teaching hospital and one regional district hospital in Southeast Queensland between the 1st of July 2017 and the 30th of June 2018 with a presentation of a dog bite. Data on demographics and management were collected from the electronic medical record using a standardised data collection tool. Risk factors supporting prophylaxis were taken from the electronic Therapeutic Guidelines (eTG). Results: Of the 336 patients included for analysis, 299 received antibiotics, of which 23 were for established infection. 276 (82% of overall cohort) received a prescription for prophylactic antibiotics, either in hospital (ED or admitting ward) and/or on discharge. Of the 178 patients who received prophylactic antibiotics in hospital, 91 (51.1%) received intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Of the patients who presented to ED without a previously established infection 271 (86.6%) received prophylactic antibiotics on discharge. Over one quarter (27.5%) of patients who were given prophylactic antibiotics did not meet any high-risk factors as outlined in guidelines. Conclusion: Prophylactic antibiotics are extensively used for patients with dog bites. There is scope to rationalise antibiotic use and route of antibiotic administration in patients with dog bites.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antibiotic prescribing in patients who presented to the emergency department with dog bites: A descriptive review of current practice

Baxter

Denny²,

Keijzers

2020

Emerg Medicine Australasia

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“…Dog attacks on humans are a significant public health problem in Australia—causing injuries, infections and emotional distress. Most people who report bites are bitten by their own dog or an animal that is known to them [ 6 , 7 ]. A description of an attack by an unrestrained dog on a human, a comment drawing attention to the potential for these types of events, or both, was present in nearly one-quarter (80) of the 348 articles in the sample.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More than 4 million domestic dogs live as pets in Australia [ 2 ], with a significant population of native wild dogs (dingoes) also living freely in peri-urban, rural and remote areas [ 3 , 4 ]. The wider impacts of dog populations on human health in Australia have been described as an unrecognised and potentially growing public health problem [ 5 , 6 ]. Data about dog bites treated in primary care are not systematically reported but Australian national records suggests that the incidence of hospitalizations due to dog bites is increasing to more than 2000 persons per year, with increased incidence in rural/remote and socially and economically disadvantaged settings [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The wider impacts of dog populations on human health in Australia have been described as an unrecognised and potentially growing public health problem [ 5 , 6 ]. Data about dog bites treated in primary care are not systematically reported but Australian national records suggests that the incidence of hospitalizations due to dog bites is increasing to more than 2000 persons per year, with increased incidence in rural/remote and socially and economically disadvantaged settings [ 6 ]. The ability of dogs to live and breed as free-living animals in and around human settlement contributes to a number of further public health risks including the potential transmission of zoonoses and compromising the safety of people in public spaces [ 5 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Representations of Free-Living and Unrestrained Dogs as an Emerging Public Health Issue in Australian Newspapers

Degeling

Hall

Eeden

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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That dogs can live and breed as free-living animals contributes to public health risks including zoonotic transmission, dog bites, and compromising people’s sense of safety in public spaces. In Australia, free-living dog populations are comprised of domestic dogs, dingoes, and dog–dingo hybrids, and are described using various terms (for example, stray or community), depending on social or geographic context. Urban expansion and regional migration mean that risks associated with contact between humans and free-living dogs are increasing. Public health authorities, local governments, and community organisations have called for transdisciplinary partnerships to address dog-related health risks with a sustainable long-term approach. Values pluralism and a lack of sustained community engagement in affected areas have meant that the outcome of such efforts to date has been mixed. To identify ideas in public circulation about the impact of unrestrained and free-living dogs on human health and well-being, and understand the framework through which these animals are problematised and solutions are proposed in public discourse, we systematically examined coverage of these issues in print media. Our analyses indicate that reporting in Australian newspapers tends to frame the public health impacts of free-living dogs as problems of public order requiring direct government action to re-establish control. The public health impacts of free-living dog populations in Australia have complex causes that intersect at the nexus between human and canine behaviour, agricultural and land management practices, local bylaws, and efforts to conserve ecological systems. Placing responsibility on governments limits opportunities for greater community involvement in developing integrated One Health approaches. Better-quality evidence of the impacts of dog populations on community health and well-being, and broad community support are needed to reshape public debates on animal control, which, ultimately, will promote more effective approaches to mitigate dog-related public health risks at the human–animal–environment interface.

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“…In Australia an estimated 100,000 dog bites are reported annually, with an average of 2061 requiring hospitalization for treatment each year [ 26 ]. Previous studies have estimated the annual cost associated with dog bite treatment in Australia at over AUD$7 million [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog bite Emergency department presentations in Brisbane metro south: Epidemiology and exploratory medical geography for targeted interventions

et al. 2021

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Dog bites are a recognized public health issue due to their impact on human and animal health/welfare. This study aimed to investigate demographic and geographic disparities in the epidemiology of dog bites presentations reported to the emergency departments of the four main public hospitals in the Metro South region of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Dog bite patient hospitalization data geolocated to the street address were collected from clinical records management systems from the four main public hospitals in the Metro South Hospital Health Service region of Queensland for a 5-year period (ie. 01/07/2013 to 30/06/2017). We investigated the epidemiology of three clinical outcomes including probability of paediatric cases (paediatric vs. adult), probability of dog bites to the head (head injury vs. other injury), and probability of re-presentation to the ED following their initial dog bite (yes or no) by way of univariable then multivariable Bernoulli logistic regression models including patient postcode as a random effect. Residual semivariograms were created to identify spatial trends in the medical geography of dog bites and binomial geostatistical models were created to predict the probability of the outcomes of interest in Brisbane Metro south and surrounding suburbs. Our results demonstrate that compared to adult dog bite cases, paediatric dog bite cases were significantly associated with bites to the head or face or neck (OR 14.65, P < 0.001), bites to the lower body (OR 4.95, P = 0.035) and larger dogs (OR 0.25, P = 0.030 for small dogs). The probability of head injuries was greater in younger age groups (17–39 OR 0.25, P = 0.001; 40–64 OR 0.15, P = 0.001; 65-above OR 0.14, P = 0.029). Attacks by small dogs were more likely to inflict head wounds than large dogs (OR 6.12, P < 0.001). The probability of re-presentation was lower in patients bitten by medium sized dogs (OR 0.29, P = 0.027) than larger dogs. Our predictive maps showed significant clustering of paediatric case probability in the Logan city and Redlands councils associated with socioeconomic status of the places of residence. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate significant demographic and geographic heterogeneity in dog bite ED presentations. Public health interventions to reduce the burden of dog bites should be targeted to the populations most at-risk in the areas identified in this study.

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The incidence of public sector hospitalisations due to dog bites in Australia 2001–2013

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Antibiotic prescribing in patients who presented to the emergency department with dog bites: A descriptive review of current practice

Antibiotic prescribing in patients who presented to the emergency department with dog bites: A descriptive review of current practice

Representations of Free-Living and Unrestrained Dogs as an Emerging Public Health Issue in Australian Newspapers

Dog bite Emergency department presentations in Brisbane metro south: Epidemiology and exploratory medical geography for targeted interventions

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