UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Orthopedics

Title: Fight Bites: Don't let them Bite you back

Keywords: Fight, bite (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/29/2012 by Michael Bond, MD
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Fight Bites

Any abrasion or laceration over the knuckles should be presumed to be a fight bite. Patients will often lie about the circumstances of the laceration.
Radiographs should be obtained on all of these patients to exclude
- Retained foreign bodies (e.g., tooth fragments)
- Fracture of the metacarpal head
Place patient on amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or clindamycin to cover mouth flora
Irrigate wound well, and explore through the fingers full range of motion to exclude joint or tendon injury.
Refrain from suturing the wound, as this will increase the risk of infection.
Splint in position of function and have them follow up in 2 days.