Human Bites
Dogs never bite me - just humans - Marilyn Monroe
image by: Lyle Fried
HWN Suggests
5 Diseases You Can Get From Being Bitten—By A Human
Most cases of human bites involve children or drunk people...One case study of 92 bitten people found that 86 percent of cases involved alcohol (and 92 percent of bitees—the actual technical name!—were men). But these injuries are no laughing matter, as bite wounds can be very serious, even deadly. Here are five diseases than can be spread from bites:
1. Infections. Human mouths contain high levels of bacteria, especially of the variety that can infect human tissues. And bites quite effectively transfer these bugs. "The bacterial inoculum"—that which can be grown out and detected—"of human bite wounds is rich in oral flora, containing…
Resources
A Human Bite to the Hand: What do you do?
A human bite that breaks the skin should be seen by a doctor for treatment preferably within the first 24 hours. All bites that occur to children should be evaluated even without a deep puncture.
Ouch! When teeth and hands connect, bites may be beastly
"Although many people may be reluctant to immediately go to a doctor, all bites to the hand should receive medical care," said orthopaedic surgeon and lead study author Stephen A. Kennedy, MD. "And while routine antibiotics are not necessarily recommended for other bite wounds, they are recommended for a bite to the hand to reduce the risk of infection and disability."
The bite that's worse than any bark
We are all spot-on when we think that a dog bite can be nasty. But what most of us don't know is that a human bite can be even nastier, especially if you get bitten on the hand.
The Gross Things Caused By Human Bite Wounds
There's a laundry list of diseases a bite victim could potentially contract from a biting incident. Viral pathogens, including hepatitis B and C, HIV, and herpes simplex virus, are all transmissible by human bites.
A bite in the playroom: Managing human bites in child care settings
Young children often bite each other during play or while fighting. An area of concern to parents is the possible transmission of infections, such as viral hepatitis and HIV, from biting incidents in child care settings. Although the risk of infection is minimal, the level of parental anxiety may be high.
How often do adults bite?
It's behaviour that is expected among unruly toddlers, but not from an adult.
Human bite as a weapon of assault
Human bite use as a weapon in assault is a growing public health concern. Effects of a human bite on a victim are both social e.g. cosmesis and medical e.g. infection. Human bite is found in violent crimes including child abuse, homicides, sexual assault and also in attempted suicide
Human bite injuries more common than you think
Most of these bites result from fighting, but sports accidents and sexual activity are other sources of injury. And biting is seasonal - in the United States at least – increasing during the spring and summer and on weekends.
5 Diseases You Can Get From Being Bitten—By A Human
Most cases of human bites involve children or drunk people. But these injuries are no laughing matter, as bite wounds can be very serious, even deadly. Here are five diseases than can be spread from bites:
Antibiotics for Human Bites
Mild: Augmentin 875/125 mg orally twice daily or 500/125mg three times daily x 5 days Moderate/severe: Ampicillin-sulbactam 1.5 to 3 grams IV every 6 hours OR Ticarcillin-clavulanic acid 3.1 grams IV every 6 hours OR Piperacillin-tazobactam 3.375 grams IV every 6 hours OR Penicillin allergy: [moxifloxacin or Bactrim OR Ciprofloxacin 500mg twice daily ] PLUS clindamycin
The psychology of why so many people bite their nails
Excessive nail biting is a surprisingly widespread human activity. It goes back millennia: the ancient Greek philosopher Cleanthes, for instance, was said to be addicted to biting his nails. In the modern era, no one has any good data on how many of us share the affliction (technically called onychophagia), but small-scale studies indicate about 20 percent or so of adults bite regularly — which would suggest millions of Americans do it.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
