title: Emergency department presentations with mammalian bite injuries: risk factors for admission and surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of animal bite injuries in Australia is high. There is currently no established method for reliably predicting whether a patient with a bite injury will require admission to hospital or surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit of mammalian bite injuries at seven major hospitals in Melbourne, Victoria, over a 2-year period. The associations between each predictor and outcome of interest were analysed with univariate and multiple regression analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven major hospitals in Melbourne, Victoria: the Alfred Hospital, Austin Hospital, Frankston Hospital, Monash Medical Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent's Hospital and Western Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients presenting to emergency departments with mammalian bite injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital admission, intravenous antibiotic therapy, surgery, reoperation, readmission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 717 mammalian bite injuries. The mean age of the patients was 36.5 years (median, 34 years; range, 0-88 years), with an equal number of males and females. The overall rate of hospital admission was 50.8%, and the mean length of stay was 2.7 days. Intravenous antibiotics were administered in 46% of cases; surgery was undertaken in 43.1% of cases. The re-operation rate was 4.5%, the re-admission rate was 3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides a detailed epidemiological analysis of animal bite injuries at seven major hospitals in Victoria. Risk factors for hospitalisation and surgery may assist in identifying patients who require admission and surgical intervention.
authors: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC jeannette.ting@gmail.com.
authors: Jeannette W C
authors: JW
authors: Ting
authors: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Brian Yin Ting
authors: BY
authors: Yue
authors: O'Brien Institute, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Howard Ho Fung
authors: HH
authors: Tang
authors: Frankston Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Rizzitelli
authors: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Ramin
authors: R
authors: Shayan
authors: Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Raiola
authors: Frankston Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: Warren M
authors: WM
authors: Rozen
authors: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Hunter-Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology