Socio-demographic profile and initial management of animal bite cases reporting to a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Rabies is a zoonotic disease with fatal consequences. Rabies can be easily prevented if post exposure vaccination is taken by animal bite cases. Cross sectional study done in immunization clinic and 614 dog bite cases were interviewed as per predesigned pretested proforma. Among all reported dog-bite cases proportion of males was more 452 (73.6%) as compared to females 162 (26.4%) irrespective of rural-urban area. Dog (88.9%) was the commonest animal responsible for the bite followed by monkeys (7.2%) and Cats (1.3%). As 97.7% cases took anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and 96.6% cases took tetanus toxoid indicates a healthy trend. Category III cases (33.2%) needed local infiltration of immunoglobulin but only 46% of them received it. Many animal bite cases were still using traditional unscientific treatments like application of oil and chilli powder on wounds. It was concluded that patients from upper class and upper middle class tend to initiate ARV within 24 hours as compared to middle class and lower middle class. In the current study, association between time of ARV Initiation after the bite with residential status was also found statistically significant (p 0.013). Cases from rural area initiated ARV after 48 hours as these cases report late to health facility after bite.