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Human bites

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Human bites

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Human bites

Definition:

Human bites are usually caused by one person biting another, although they may result from a situation in which one person comes into contact with another person's teeth. In a fight, for example, one person's knuckles may come into contact with another person's teeth, and if the impact breaks the skin, the injury would be considered a bite.

Alternative Names:
Bites - human

Considerations:

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Human bites that break the skin, like all puncture wounds, have a high risk of infection. They also pose a risk of injury to tendons and joints.

Bites are very common among young children. Children often bite to express anger or other negative feelings.

Human bites may be more dangerous than most animal bites. There are anaerobic microbes in some human mouths that can cause hard-to-treat infection. Hospitalization to receive intravenous antibiotics may be required for someone with an infected human bite, especially on the hand.

References:

Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5^th Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2002.

Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3^rd Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2001.

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5^th Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.

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