title: Bitten by a Dragon.
abstract: Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are large lizards known to take down prey even larger than themselves. They rarely attack humans. A 38-year-old woman was bitten by a Komodo dragon on her hand while cleaning its enclosure. She was transiently hypotensive. The wounds were extensively cleaned, and she was started on prophylactic antibiotics. Her wounds healed without any infectious sequelae. Komodo dragon bites are historically thought to be highly infectious and venomous. Based on a literature review, neither of these are likely true. As in any bite, initial stabilization followed by wound management are the main components to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Electronic address: stephenducey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ducey
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wadman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001733:Bites and Stings; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Komodo dragon; animal bite; envenomation; wound management