Adherence to infection mitigation strategies for facial dog bite wounds: a retrospective analysis of a level 1 paediatric trauma centre.

Abstract

Dog bites are a frequent cause of paediatric facial injuries and present a significant risk of infection. This retrospective study evaluated adherence to antibiotic and repair guidelines in facial dog bite cases at a level 1 paediatric trauma centre. Among 356 cases, 99.2% received antibiotics; however, only 90.4% received the recommended first-line agent and 12.6% missed the initial dose in the emergency department. Many prescriptions had an incorrect dose or prolonged duration. Paediatric emergency medicine clinicians used fewer layered repairs compared to plastic surgeons. These results highlight variation in both antibiotic prescribing and laceration repairs, suggesting the need for quality improvement in both areas.