Dog bite studies ::

A collection of recent medical studies examining nonfatal dog bite injuries in Level 1 trauma centers, national fatal dog bite injury studies, government studies and breed-specific law studies.

September 2018

Literature Review:

special report dogsbite
Level 1 Trauma Center Studies Characterizing Dog Bite Injuries Across Major U.S. Geographical Regions (2011-2018)
A review of 13 retrospective dog bite studies from U.S. Level 1 trauma centers. In the majority of studies, pit bulls inflicted a higher prevalence and severity of injuries than all other dog breeds.

October 2016

Special Report:

special report dogsbite
Level 1 Trauma Center Dog Bite Studies in All U.S. Geographical Regions Report Pit Bulls Highest Prevalence (2009 to 2016)
A review of 11 retrospective dog bite studies from U.S. Level 1 trauma centers. In the majority of studies, pit bulls inflicted a higher prevalence and severity of injuries than all other dog breeds.

Level 1 trauma center dog bite studies

October 2017
An Algorithmic Approach to Operative Management of Complex Pediatric Dog Bites: 3-Year Review of a Level I Regional Referral Pediatric Trauma Hospital
A retrospective review of 108 dog bite victims over a 3-year period from a pediatric Level 1 trauma center in the Northeast. Pit bull injuries required operative repair 3 times more than other breeds.

April 2017
Characteristics of 1616 Consecutive Dog Bite Injuries at a Single Institution
A retrospective review of 1616 dog bite victims over a 4-year period from a pediatric Level 1 trauma center in the Southeast. Pit bull bites were implicated in half of all surgeries performed.

July/Aug 2016
Ocular Trauma From Dog Bites: Characterization, Associations, and Treatment Patterns at a Regional Level I Trauma Center Over 11 Years
A retrospective review of 342 dog bite victims from 2003 to 2013 from Harborview Medical Center, a regional Level 1 trauma center in the Northwest. Pit bulls accounted for more than 1 in 4 injuries.

January-February 2015
Dog Bites of the Head and Neck: An Evaluation of a Common Pediatric Trauma and Associated Treatment
A retrospective review of 334 dog bite injuries from a Level 1 trauma center in Sacramento. One third of all injuries were caused by pit bull terriers and resulted in the highest rate of consultation.

April 2011
Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs
A retrospective review of 228 dog bite victims from 1994 to 2009 from a regional Level 1 trauma center in South Texas. When breed was known (82), pit bulls accounted for 35% of injuries.

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Fatal dog bite injury studies

May 2018
U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities: Breeds of Dogs Involved, Age Groups and Other Factors Over a 13-Year Period (2005 to 2017)
A 2018 report issued by DogsBite.org shows that over 35 dog breeds contributed to 433 deaths in a 13-year period. Pit bulls contributed to 66% of these deaths, followed by rottweilers with 10%.

September 15, 2000
Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States Between 1979 and 1998
A 2000 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)1 reviewed a 20-year period to determine the types of dog breeds most responsible for U.S. dog bite fatalities.

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Government dog bite studies

November 2010
Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Stays Involving Dog Bites, 2008
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published a study in 2010 showing that the number of Americans hospitalized for dog bite injuries almost doubled over a 15-year period.

July 2003
Nonfatal Dog Bite-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments - United States, 2001
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study that examines the frequency of dog bite-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments.

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Breed-specific legislation studies

June 30, 2012
Effectiveness of Breed-Specific Legislation in Decreasing the Incidence of Dog-Bite Injury Hospitalisations in People in the Canadian Province of Manitoba
A study analyzing dog bite injury hospitalizations over a 23-year period (1984 to 2006) in Manitoba showed a significant reduction at the provincial level after implementing breed-specific laws.

December 2010
Decline in Hospitalisations Due to Dog Bite Injuries in Catalonia, 1997–2008. An Effect of Government Regulation?
A study analyzing hospitalizations for dog bite injuries over a 12-year period in Catalonia, Spain after changes in legal regulations, including breed-specific regulations, showed a 38% decrease.

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  1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have no recent dog bite fatality data by breed. Learn more: Nonprofits Urge CDC to Resume Tracking Richer Data Set for Children and Adults Disfigured, Maimed and Killed by Dogs.