title: [An evaluation of dog and cat bites over a five-year period: a sample case from Eskişehir].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the demographic, medical and forensic aspects of patients who were bitten by cats or dogs and admitted to the Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Education, Training and Research Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the medical records of the last five years inside the automation system of the hospital were investigated. One hundred sixty-seven cases were included according to their ICD-10 diagnostic codes. On statistical evaluation, frequency and chi-square analyses were conducted and SPSS 13.0 program was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred sixteen patients were bitten by dogs, whereas 46 patients were bitten by cats. Most of the victims were children. 51.9% of the bites were on an upper extremity, and 29.1% were on a lower extremity. Although cat and dog bites demonstrate seasonal changes, summer months were found important, when children were on holidays. Hyperemia, scratch and laceration were the most frequent diagnoses after injury. The length of hospital stay was between 1-22 days and calculated as a mean 7.3±5.8 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dog and cat bites are very well known public health issues in our country. To know animals and their needs and to respect them should be the priority of families to avoid unexpected injury. Families should teach their children to treat dogs and cats with respect, to avoid direct eye contact with the animals and not to annoy them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tarık
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.forename: Omür
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elçioğlu
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Balcı
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006753:Hospital Records; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012621:Seasons; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult