[Surgical treatment in severe dog bites injures in pediatric children].
BACKGROUND
We report a retrospective study of dog-bitten-children who underwent surgical treatment in our department between 1995 and 2005. We checked the different surgical techniques used to cover the defect as well as short and long-term functional and aesthetic results, considering also infection and hospital stay.


METHODS
During this period of time, 21 patients received surgical treatment because of dogs bites. Surgical approach was decided considering location and severity of lessions.


RESULTS
Our serie consists of 12 males and 9 females. Head (71%) and extremities (23%) were the most frequent affected areas. Primary closure was carried out in 18 cases and in the remaining 3 artificial skin or tissue flaps were needed; in these 3 cases the resulting scar was later removed. Surgical infection occurred in less than 10% of the children and in all cases, long-term aesthetic results were considered excellent.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary closure of dog-bites-injures improves functional and aesthetic results and reduces the surgical procedures in those patients.
Suárez
O
O
Servicio de Cirugía Plástica, Departamento de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid. queminfantil.hulp@salud.madrid.org
López-Gutiérrez
J C
JC
Burgos
L
L
Aguilar
R
R
Luis
A
A
Encinas
J L
JL
Soto-Bauregard
C
C
Díaz
M
M
Ros
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies