Dog bites in children admitted to Pennsylvania trauma centers

Dog bites are a major public health problem in the pediatric population, requiring emergency treatment for wound repair and possible hospitalization in a trauma center. Data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study were analyzed, and the records of 183 pediatric dog bite patients from 1990 to 1995 were evaluated. Dog bites were found to constitute a very small proportion of the total pediatric admissions to Pennsylvania trauma centers; however, the findings were similar to other reported studies.