Managing bite wounds

PREVIEW

About half of all persons in the United States will incur an animal or human bite sometime in their life. Not all bite wounds need medical attention, but severe bite wounds and those at high risk of infection are frequent reasons for emergency department visits. What steps are involved in the care of such wounds, and which antibiotics provide the most effective coverage? Dr Taplitz discusses the major epidemiologic factors of various types of bite wounds and outlines a systematic approach to wound care and infection control.