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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