Animal bites: patterns of treatment.

Between 1972 and 1979, more than 350,000 animal bite incidents were reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Each incident was investigated by county health authorities. To determine the type of treatment given to animal bite victims, a mailed questionnaire was sent to 1,201 persons selected from the 1972 report files. Eighty-nine percent of respondents received treatment for animal bite. The most frequent treatment (64.5%) was tetanus immunization alone or with cleaning and bandaging of the wound. Three of the 710 respondents (0.4%) received post-exposure antirabies treatment. The authors discuss recommendations for treatment of animal bites.