Year: 2026 | Month: July-September | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 181-188
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20260321
Clinicodemographic Profile of Dog Bite Cases Presenting to the Emergency Medicine Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Observational Study
Sanjay Nalla1, Anshul Jain2*, Indresh Kumar2, Adnan Ahmed1
1Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Technology, Department of Emergency Medicine,
Amrita School of Allied Health Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Faridabad, Haryana, India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Faridabad,
Delhi NCR, Haryana, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Anshul Jain
ABSTRACT
Background: Dog bites are a major public health concern and an important cause of presentation to emergency departments, particularly in regions where rabies remains endemic. Characterising the demographic profile, injury patterns, exposure severity, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) practices may help improve emergency management and rabies prevention.
Objective: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, anatomical distribution of dog-bite injuries, World Health Organization (WHO) exposure categories, PEP practices, and short-term hospital disposition among patients presenting with dog-bite injuries to a tertiary-care emergency department.
Methods: A retrospective, observational, census-based study was conducted in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, Haryana, India. Medical records of patients presenting with dog-bite injuries between January and December 2025 were reviewed. Data regarding age, sex, date of presentation, anatomical site of injury, type of biting dog, WHO exposure category, tetanus prophylaxis, anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and hospital disposition were extracted and analysed using descriptive statistics. Where appropriate, categorical variables were compared using the chi-square or Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test.
Results: Eighty-nine patients were included. The mean age was 32.34 ± 19.86 years, and 60 (67.4%) were male. Young adults aged 18–44 years constituted 51.7% of cases. Presentations peaked in June and July, accounting for 60.7% of cases. The lower limb was the most frequently affected anatomical site (38.2%), followed by the hand and fingers (29.2%). WHO Category III exposure predominated (59.6%), followed by Category II (36.0%) and Category I (4.5%). Stray dogs accounted for 76.4% of bites. Tetanus prophylaxis was administered to 91.0% of patients, ARV to all patients, and RIG to 94.3% of Category III patients. Overall, 97.8% were managed as outpatients and 2.2% required hospital admission.
Conclusion: Dog-bite presentations predominantly involved young adult males and stray-dog exposures, with Category III injuries constituting the majority. PEP administration was high, although instances of ARV administration in Category I and RIG administration in Category II exposures warrant evaluation for guideline concordance. Long-term clinical outcomes were not assessed.
Keywords: Dog Bites; Rabies; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Emergency Medical Services; Retrospective Studies; Wounds and Injuries.