Health

Number of people hospitalised with dog bites rises by over 50% in decade

Highest rates are among children, with policy interventions recommended to address this risk

A total of 3,158 patients were hospitalised with a dog bite diagnosis between 2012 and 2021.

Paul Cullen
Thu Dec 14 2023 - 15:00

The number of people hospitalised with dog bites has risen by more than 50 per cent in a decade, according to a new study.

A total of 3,158 patients needed hospital treatment with a dog bite diagnosis between 2012 and 2021, with the rate of hospitalisation rising by 55 per cent over this time.

Three-quarters of cases involved open wounds and 7.3 per cent fractures. Some 751 patients (24 per cent) suffered a facial wound.

The findings emphasise the importance of improving dog control legislation and enforcement and of developing effective policies to reduce risk and protect the public, said the authors of the study, published in the December edition of the Irish Medical Journal.

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“This is a major public issue which has demonstrably not been sufficiently addressed by the existing legislation and its implementation.”

With the highest rates of such injuries reported among children aged up to 14, policy interventions should specifically address this risk, said the authors from the Department of Agriculture, University of Limerick and National Health Intelligence Unit.

The age at which people were hospitalised for dog bites increased over the decade, from 29.1 years to 35.2 years. Men and women were equally affected.

More than half of the patients - 56 per cent - required a procedure under general anaesthetic, a figure which the study said “appears high”. Plastic surgery was needed in 42 per cent of cases.

Fourteen individual patients were diagnosed with sepsis, a serious life-threatening emergency, and fewer than five died.

Most of those who were bitten - 86 per cent - were admitted as emergencies while 13 per cent were elective admissions. Some 42 cases involved pregnant women or newborns.

Louth, Kerry and Roscommon consistently recorded the highest incidence of dog-bites over the period. Kilkenny, Offaly and Dublin had the lowest. Proximity to a hospital may play a role here, the authors said.

The actual number of dog bites is “undoubtedly” greater than can be estimated from hospital discharge records, they added.

Following a spate of serious attacks by dogs on people, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys last month announced measures aimed at tightening dog control laws, including a doubling of on-the-spot fines for serious offences.

Globally, the study noted, dog bites account for millions of injuries each year, leading to severe outcomes, including temporary or permanent disability, psychological trauma, distress, anxiety and risk of early death.

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Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen is a former heath editor of The Irish Times.

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