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Bites - human and animal - Management
How should a human bite wound be cared for initially?
- If the wound has just occurred, encourage it to bleed, unless it is already bleeding freely.
- Irrigate thoroughly with warm, running water.
- Wound closure is rarely advised in primary care. For more information, see When to close a human bite wound in Detailed information.
- Advise analgesia (paracetamol or ibuprofen) for pain relief, if required.
- Prescribe prophylactic antibiotics for for all human bite wounds under 72 hours old, even if there is no sign of infection.
- Consider if tetanus prophylaxis is required.
- Where body tissue has been torn off as a result of a bite, wrap any torn off parts (e.g. part of an ear) in clean tissue and store in a plastic bag surrounded by ice for transport to hospital.
- Seek immediate advice from a consultant in infectious diseases for anyone considered to be at risk of HIV or hepatitis B. For more information, see Managing risk of a viral infection.
In depth
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