Guidelines
Adult - Bites & Scratches

Adult - Bites & Scratches

Risk Factors for Infection

  • Immunocompromised

  • Asplenic

  • Advanced liver disease

  • Advanced age

  • Diabetic

  • Wounds needing primary closure or surgical repair
  • Cat bites
  • Bite location:
    • Hand/face/genitals
    • Near hardware, bone/joint or tendon
    • Near pre-existing edema
    • Clenched fist human bite injury

Microbiology

Select Treatment Setting

More Information

Last Updated: 6.1.21

  1. Stevens DL, IDSA. Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2014 Jul 15;59(2):e10-52. Erratum in: Clin Infect Dis. 2015 May 1;60(9):1448.
  2. Medeiros I, Saconato H. Antibiotic prophylaxis for mammalian bites. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(2):CD001738.
  3. Aziz H, et al. The current concepts in management of animal (dog, cat, snake, scorpion) and human bite wounds. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2015 Mar;78(3):641-8.
  4. Baddour LM. Animal bites (dogs, cats, and other animals): Evaluation and management. In: UpToDate, Wolfson AB (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA. (Accessed on Apr 22, 2021.)
  5. Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: Treatment Guidelines. University of Nebraska. Revised 5/2018
  6. Skin and Soft Tissue infections. University of Michigan Treatment Guideline. Revised 4/2018