Doctors at Central Military Hospital 108 have just received a 72-year-old patient, residing in Hai Phong, admitted to the hospital in a state of severe multiple injuries due to being attacked by his own dog. The becgie dog, weighing more than 30kg, has been raised by the family for about 10 years. After a few days of showing signs of illness, the animal suddenly turned to bite its owner.
In about a few dozen minutes, the patient was bitten and chewed by the dog in many areas of the body, causing serious damage to the neck, body and especially the left arm.
Doctors determined that the arm area was severely injured with a severed middle nerve, loss of a large part of muscle, exposed bone and crushed soft tissue around.
After receiving initial first aid at a front-line medical facility, the patient was urgently transferred to Central Military Hospital 108. Here, doctors quickly performed surgery to remove crushed soft tissue, handle complex lesions and connect the severed medial nerve. In parallel with surgical intervention, the patient was also injected with rabies serum, rabies vaccine and tetanus serum to prevent dangerous complications. Currently, the dog has been locked up by the family to continue monitoring.
According to BSCKI Chu Xuan Anh, Director of Vaccine and Tourism Medicine Center, Central Military Hospital 108, this is not only a severe dog bite case but also a situation that needs synchronous and urgent handling between surgery and infectious disease prevention.
If a medical facility only has the ability to perform surgery but does not have the conditions to implement post-exposure prophylaxis, patients may have their wounds treated but are slow to be indicated for rabies serum and rabies vaccine. Conversely, if only vaccinated without surgical capacity, complex lesions such as tissue tears, muscle defects, suspected blood vessel or nerve damage will be difficult to handle optimally from the beginning," said Dr. Chu Xuan Anh.
Doctors recommend that immediately after being bitten by a dog, scratched by a cat, or when animal saliva suspected of being rabid comes into contact with the damaged skin or mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth, people should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, then disinfect with appropriate solution and go to a medical facility as soon as possible to be assessed for risk and indicated for vaccination.
In addition, dog and cat owners need to fully vaccinate their pets against rabies, regularly monitor their health and manage pets safely, do not let them roam freely, and do not let them have dangerous contact with people around them. These are simple but most effective measures to protect pets, families and communities from this dangerous disease.
