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Monday 17 February 2014

Cat Bites: Look Benign; Act Deadly

It might come as surprising to most, but cat bites are more serious and hazardous than, for example dog bites.

Recent studies reveal that 1 out of 3 patients receiving wounds from cat bites ended up in hospital, and two-thirds of those hospitalized had to go through surgical treatment.

Cats normally carry a lot of bacteria in their mouths which then infests a wound resulting from a cat bite. These wound fissures are ideal breeding grounds for spreading the infection in tissues, causing blood poisoning which is more formally known as the septicemia. The infection might lead to fever and flu, and sometimes even death if proper medical attention is not received in time. People most at risk from cat bites include small children, the elderly, the sick and also immunosuppressed persons.
In a study by Brian Carlsen, an orthopedic hand surgeon and plastic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, researchers observed 193 cases of cat bites from 2009-2011. 57 patients out of these were hospitalized for 3 days on average; 38 had to have their infected tissues removed out in a surgical procedure known as debridement, while 8 patients needed multiple surgeries, and some even had to go for reconstructive surgeries.
Since this much is clear that cat bites are as harmful as dog bites, if not more, a person must take a number of steps to prevent the infection from spreading to surrounding tissues and joints. Washing the wound is the first and foremost thing, but avoid scrubbing it hard or using disinfectants and other chemicals. It is also important to control and stop bleeding while seeking and waiting for professional medical help.

Bentham Science Publishers is a renowned name in the STM publishing industry. There are a number of Bentham publications on infection and infectious diseases, such as Anti-Infective Agents, Infectious Disorders-Drug Targets and Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery.



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