ABSTRACT
Background: Bite wounds account for 1% of all emergency department visits and infection is the most common biteassociated complication. The risk for infection of any type of bite wound is determined by local wound care, host factors and bite location. Method: The study was a prospective series of cases seen in the Emergency Unit of the Hospital Regional da Asa Norte (HRAN, Brasília - DF), from January of 1999 to December of 2004. At the patient's arrival at the Emergency Unit was done a primary closure of bites wounds to the face and scalp, independent of the hour or day of the aggression. The primary treatment of the bites consisted on direct suturing, flaps or graft, depending on the type of the bites and the decision of the surgeon. Results: The study analyzes 111 patients, with the ear was the most common site of the injury in the face (31.5%), followed by the lips (17.1%). The children had suffered the injuries more frequently and the canine bites had been most frequent, followed by the human ones. All the patients had received surgical treatment in the first 24 hours after admission. There was no infection in this study. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the immediate closure of the dog or human bites to the face and scalp is safe, even in cases after some hours of the injury.
Keywords: Bites and stings, surgery. Bites, human. Face, injuries, surgery. Facial injuries. Scalp, injuries, surgery, Dogs