Bites

Exam Cram

• Bites can come from a range of creatures including pets, domesticated animals, farm animals, insects and humans!

• Organisms: mixture of gram +ve and gram -ve 

• Presentation & diagnosis usually obvious & clinical

• Management: PO Co-amoxiclav 

Outline

Background

Organisms

• • Dog bite organism: Pasteurella 

  • Cat scratch: Bartonella Henselae

  • Human: 50% streptococcus anginosus (less commonly staph aureus)

  • Rabies- foreign travel + dog bite 

Assessment

History

• Usually clear history

• Can be sudden pain without observing cause of pain

Examination

• Break in skin

• Examine for tendon damage on posterior hand

Investigations

• May require none

• Consider: 

  • Wound swab + blood cultures

  • Baseline bloods- FBC, EUC, LFTs, +- CRP

Diagnosis

Diagnostic criteria: clinical

Differentials: blood clot

Classification: by animal biting & by organism grown

Management [1]

Animal or human bite:

• Update tetanus vaccine (unless vaccine within 5 years)

• Co-amoxiclav

  • Penicillin allergy: doxycycline & metronidazole

Med Reg Notes

Spider Bites

• May require anti-venom based off type

• Hasn't been a death from a spider bite in Australia since 1979! [2]

References

1. Broom J, Woods ML. Management of bite injuries. Aust Prescr 2006;29:6-8.

https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2006.005

2. Spider facts (no date) The Australian Museum. Available at: https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/ (Accessed: 05 October 2024).

Page written in 2024.