title: Head and neck dog bites in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  1) Demonstrate patterns of dog bite injury to the head and neck in children. 2) Identify treatment outcomes of dog bite injuries to the head and neck.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 0 to 19 years, treated for head and neck dog bites at our tertiary care children's hospital (1999-2007), were included. Demographics, dog breed and ownership, seasonal incidence, wound location, characteristics, management, and complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four children, aged 10 months to 19 years (mean, 6.19 years) underwent primary repair of head and neck dog bite injuries. The cheek (34%) and lips (21%) were involved most commonly. Average wound length was 7.15 cm. Dog bite incidence peaked during summer months. Infection occurred in 10.7 percent. Pulsed dye laser was used to improve cosmesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children are vulnerable to head and neck dog bite injuries. Wound healing is excellent despite a contaminated wound. Infections occur infrequently. Pulsed dye laser improves cosmesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monroy
authors.forename: Philomena
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Behar
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poje
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pizzuto
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brodsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003646:Debridement; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult