Welcome to Bites
Bites Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
The Real Deal on Bites
from:Every year hospitals and emergency centers have an influx of people who suffer from animal bites from one source or another. These bites may be wild animals or house pets. The common carriers of rabies include raccoons, skunks, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, bats and domesticated animals that have not been inoculated.
Either way; wild or domestic, do not ignore animal bites, even if they seem quite harmless they can cause allergies and or infections.
The fact of the matter is domestic animals are responsible for most of the reported bites. Even though a dog is most likely attributed to biting, do not overlook the common house cat. Cats, especially kittens can transmit a bacterial disease known as Cat Scratch Disease when they bite or scratch. This infection normally clears up in about three weeks but will cause swollen glands around the afflicted area. There will be redness and sometimes pus seeping out of a blister or sore. The doctor you see for treatment may have to drain the fluid. He or she will prescribe an antibiotic. Though not usually very dangerous, Cat Scratch Disease can cause permanent retinitis (inflammation of the eye). A blood test will confirm the presence of Cat Scratch Disease.
General Information on all animal bites
Infections from bites can slowly creep up days after the wounds or immediately within hours depending upon the severity of the bites. Some common signs of infected bites to look out for are:
• Redness
• Red streaks around the bites
• Tenderness
• The infected area feels hot
• Swelling of the glands at the site
• Inflammation
• Pus
• Pain
For immediate first aid care of minor wounds where the skin is barely broken and you are sure the animal does not have rabies:
• Wash and clean the wound with soap and water,
• Apply an antibiotic agent,
• Elevate the bites site above the heart to avoid infection and slow down swelling
• Cover with a bandage.
But if there is heavy bleeding or the cut is deep; do not try to care for the wound on your own, bandage the wound to stop the bleeding and rush right to the emergency center of your local hospital to have the bite or bites attended to by a medical professional.
If you suspect that the animal may have rabies see your doctor immediately for a tetanus shot. Any animal that you don’t know can be considered suspect. Actually, health care specialists recommend that we all should be inoculated with the tetanus vaccine every ten years. If you have an animal bite and it was at least five years since your last inoculation your physician will recommend that you get a booster shot within 48 hours. Health care professionals will also recommend a booster shot for deep or very dirty cuts.
You will also need to see a doctor immediately after a bite if you have, diabetes, AIDS, lung disease, liver disease, cancer. or a compromised immune system.
Your doctor will also check for bone or tendon damage and the presence of infection. Depending upon the severity of the bites and the animal responsible for it, you may require sutures and even plastic surgery.
Bites News
Health Tip: When Another Person Bites You (MedicineNet.com)
Title: Health Tip: When Another Person Bites You Category: Health News Created: 12/4/2008 2:00:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 12/4/2008
Read more...Tories sack 10% of party HQ staff as credit crunch bites (Guardian Unlimited)
The Conservative party is making more than 10% of its staff at party headquarters redundant as a direct result of the economic downturn, guardian.co.uk can reveal. The casualties include members of the party's policy section, which provides research and ideas for the next general election manifesto. The decision follows a slackening off in donations as the global financial crisis bites. ...
Read more...California Police Dog Bites Innocent Woman (Officer.com)
A woman says she was bitten by a police dog while sleeping.
Read more...Quick bites: Radicchio-wrapped goat cheese hors d'oeuvre (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Easy hors d’oeuvre Looking for an appetizer that’s seasonally colorful, quick, easy and stylish for holiday entertaining? Try these elegant radicchio-wrapped goat cheese bites, from radicchio distributor Royal Rose. Winter is the season for the deep-red, pleasantly bitter, antioxidant-loaded radicchio. Grilling sweetens radicchio’s slight bitterness and adds complexity. You can use a ...
Read more...Health Tip: When Another Person Bites You (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
(HealthDay News) -- A human bite can lead to a dangerous infection, just as an animal bite can.
Read more...Love bites (Dalnews)
With Twilight in bookstores and theatres, the Gothic genre is more popular than ever.
Read more...Europe Consumers, Companies Curtail Spending as Recession Bites (Bloomberg)
Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- European investment fell for a second quarter and consumer spending stagnated as the global financial crisis dragged the region’s economy into a recession that two interest-rate cuts have so far failed to alleviate.
Read more...Seumas Milne: As the crisis bites, ministers must make a truly big leap (Guardian Unlimited)
With every week that passes, another icon of the economic orthodoxy that reigned supreme for more than two decades comes crashing down. Last week, it was New Labour's commitment not to raise the top rate of tax, as Alistair Darling unveiled the first Keynesian-style expansion programme for more than 30 years and the governor of the Bank of England refused to rule out the "wholesale ...
Read more...First Act: Reality Bites (WECT 6 Wilmington)
Guerilla Theatre's newest original production is about reality television, minus the television. You don't even have to pick up the remote for this show.
Read more...Army called in as cold snap bites (ITN via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
The Army has been called in to help drivers as snow brought chaos to Scotland and the North.
Read more...