TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2005//
TI  - Emergency department visits and hospitalizations resulting from dog bites, Kansas City, MO, 1998-2002
JO  - Missouri medicine
A1  - Hoff, Gerald L.
A1  - Cai, Jianmei
A1  - Kendrick, Robyn
A1  - Archer, R.
SP  - 565
EP  - 568
VL  - 102
IS  - 6
N2  - Dog bites are the second most costly public health problem in the United States with half of all Americans being bitten in their lifetime. Approximately 17 to 18 percent of dog bite injuries receive medical attention. Between 1998 and 2002, Kansas City, Missouri, residents made 3,467 emergency department visits for dog bite trauma and 96 individuals were hospitalized. We report the principal diagnoses for those visits and admissions. Median hospital charges for emergency department services and hospitalizations were $300 per visit and $4,698 per admission. We discuss deficiencies in the reporting of animal bites as well as recommended community efforts in reducing the burden of dog bite trauma.
LA  - 
SN  - 0026-6620
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -