gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

Facial injuries to a small child due to dog bites

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Anke Hirschfelder - Hals-, Nasen-, Ohrenklinik Charité, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin
  • Andreas Schmeling - Institut für Rechtsmedizin Charité, Berlin
  • Heidi Olze - Hals-, Nasen-, Ohrenklinik Charité, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno364

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno247.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Hirschfelder et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Injuries caused by biting dogs, especially “fighter breeds” or “dangerous dogs”, have attracted considerable media attention in recent years and are hence a focus of public interest. Preventing dog bites as injuries sustained in public spaces should be seen as an important medical task.

This poster describes the facial injuries sustained by a two-year-old boy, including partial avulsion of nose tissue, when he was bitten by an American Staffordshire Terrier. The course of the incident was typical, as the family dog attacked after the child apparently attempted to take away its biscuit. The wounds observed during examination of the child tallied easily with the assumption that they had been caused by dog bites. There was no acute threat to life, although a lack of medical attention might have resulted in potentially fatal loss of blood or infection of the wound. Lasting damage has remained in the form of facial scars and defects to the right nostril and the tip of the nose.

Apart from securing documentation that might be necessary for use in court, the treating physician has an important role to play in terms of preventive medicine. The forensic conclusions derived from a case review of injuries sustained as a result of dog bites can make a major contribution to preventing such injuries.