Nonfatal Dog Bite-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments - United States, 2001

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Study highlights

• In 1994, the most recent year for which published data are available, an estimated 4.7 million dog bites occurred in the United States and approximately 799,700 persons required medical care.
• Of an estimated 333,700 patients treated for dog bites in emergency departments in 1994, approximately 6,000 were hospitalized.
• In 2001, an estimated 368,245 persons were treated in US emergency rooms for nonfatal dog bite-related injuries.
• 42% of dog bites in 2001 occurred among children aged 14 years and younger; injury rates were highest among children aged 5-9 years and were significantly higher for boys than for girls.
• For injured persons of all ages in 2001, approximately 4.5% of dog bite injuries were work related (occurred to persons delivering mail, packages or food; working at an animal clinic of shelter; or doing home repair work of installations).
• Injuries occurred most commonly to the arm/hand (45.3%), leg/foot (25.8%), and head/neck (22.8%). The majority (64.9%) of injuries among children aged 4 years and younger were to the head/neck region.
• Injury diagnoses were described frequently as "dog bite" (26.4%); other diagnoses included puncture (40.2%), laceration (24.7%), contusion/abrasion/hematoma (6.0%), cellulitis/infection (1.5%), amputation/avulsion/crush (0.8%), and fracture/dislocation (0.4%).