First Aid Treatment for Bites

Animal or Human Bites
First aid Treatment for Animal or Human Bites
These injuries usually consist of puncture wounds, jagged lacerations, or bruises. They should be treated quickly and thoroughly in the following manner. Scrub and cleanse the wound with water and any mil soap for a period of five to ten minutes Apply the sterile bandage, or if this is not immediately obtainable, a clean handkerchief. Any animal bite that has punctured the skin should be treated immediately by a physician so that he may give tetanus antitoxin and antibiotics and recommended anti rabies injections is indicated.

Are human bites particularly dangerous?
Yes, because the germs in the human mouth frequently produce very severe infections, often much worse than those caused by animal bites.

Should antiseptic solutions, such as iodine, be used in the first–aid treatment of animal or human bites?
No. Strong antiseptics may damage the tissues further and should not be used.

Are bites always sutured (stitched) by the physician?
No. In some instances, for tear of infection, such wounds are left wide open to drain and are not sutured until several days later. Wounds of the face are usually sutured after through cleansing.

Insect Bites
Are bites dangerous from insects such as fleas , sand files, mosquitoes, wasps, hornets, bees, or chiggers?
If someone is allergic to the sting of these insects, such bites can be quite serious requiring immediate treatment with antivenin.

What is the first aid treatment for insect bites?
If the sting has been left in place, it should be gently picked out. It is important not to break it in attempts at Insect removal. If a person is known to be allergic to a particular type of bite and is bitten on an extremity, it might be well to place a tourniquet above the bite on the extremity so that the absorption of the poison will take place more slowly. It is important not to allow a tourniquet to remain in place for more than twenty minutes at a time.

Release it for ten minutes and then reapply. Medical advice should be obtained if a great degree of swelling takes place. The physician will give an anti allergic medication or will take other measures to counteract the effect of the bite. Anti veteract extracts are available in many hospitals for those who are extremely allergic to insect bites. It is important not to scratch a bite, as this will cause secondary infection and will lead to greater absorption of the poison.

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