On the afternoon of October 22, Ms. N.T.T (63 years old, Hung Yen) was feeding a dog when she was suddenly bitten by a Becgie Belgian dog weighing about 30kg. At that time, she was alone, trying to escape and calling for help. The neighbor quickly took her to the first aid station and transferred her to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
Doctor CKI Nguyen Anh Tuan (department of Orthopedic and Neurological Trauma Surgery) said that the patient suffered many deep bites on both hands. The right hand has a large tear in the index finger, while the left hand has a tendon injury that limits the movement of the fingers. X-ray showed a broken chin near the fourth finger of his left hand. The patient underwent emergency surgery, wound cleansing, anti-rabies serum, rabies vaccine and tetanus.
On the morning of October 23, the Vaccination Department of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases continued to receive 2 other cases of dog bites. Ms. N.T.M (54 years old, Hanoi) was attacked by an acquaintance's dog while attending a wedding. The wound on the right hand musicle was 1.5cm long, luckily not deep. She received first aid at the health station and then went to the hospital for vaccination.
Another case is Mr. T.X.T (42 years old, working at a construction site in Hanoi). He was bitten by two stray dogs in the calves and the copper tube while working on the side of the road. Despite being bitten by a protective pants, the wound was still bruised and bleeding, and he had to be hospitalized for rabies vaccination and tetanus.
According to Dr. Nguyen Nguyen Huyen, Director of the hospital's Center for Disease Control, any case of dog, cat or animal bites must be treated immediately: wash the wound with soap in water that flows continuously and go to a medical facility for vaccination. There is no specific treatment for rabies. If there was a rash, the mortality rate would be almost 100%.
Doctor Huyen also recommends that dog and cat owners need to be fully vaccinated against rabies and remind them periodically; do not let the pet owner loose; let the dog out and have someone to muzzle and walk it. In particular, do not leave children or the elderly near dogs when there is no one to look after them. Pets with unusual signs such as aggression, refusal to eat, foaming at the edge or sudden death should be immediately reported to the veterinary agency for timely handling.
