Citation

Chicco M, Torres-Grau J, Gardiner M. J. Plast. Reconstr. Aesthet. Surg. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.bjps.2020.10.090

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Mammalian bite injuries account for a large number of attendances to emergency departments and approximately 7000 hospital admissions annually in England. There are no treatment guidelines available and there is clinical uncertainty surrounding their management.

In our department, these patients were often admitted for washout under local anaesthesia in the minor operations theatre, with overnight stay for elevation and intravenous antibiotics.

In March 2020, resources were redistributed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery department took over the minor injuries service and non-COVID-19 admissions and theatre usage were limited to essential cases.

This study aims to assess how constraints imposed by the pandemic impacted management of mammalian bite injuries in our hospital and resulting patient outcomes.

Language: en