Law Enforcement K-9 Dog Bites: Injuries, Complications, and Trends,☆☆,,★★

Presented in part at the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Forum, Cincinnati, February 1996.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(97)70253-1Get rights and content

Abstract

Study objective: To quantify the number of individuals bitten, the number of bites per patient, and the types of injuries and complications caused by law enforcement K-9 dog bites treated in the Jail Ward Emergency Department of the Los Angeles County–University of Southern California Medical Center. These variables were compared before and after a change in K-9 police policy from the “bite-and-hold” to the “find-and-bark” technique or stricter controls were instituted over the K-9 teams. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients in police custody with K-9 dog bites who presented to the Jail Ward ED between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1995, was conducted. Demographic data of patients with K-9 dog bites, the number and location of bites, complications, procedures performed, and management of bites were recorded and compared between the periods 1988–1991 (before the policy changes) and 1992–1995 (after the changes). Results: Between 1988 and 1995 790 in-custody patients were treated for K-9 dog bites in the Jail Ward ED; 705 charts were available for review. Nearly all the patients (98.6%) were male, with a mean age of 25; 85.0% were Hispanic or black. More than half (57.2%) sustained three or more bites, mainly to the extremities. Complications ensued in 19.3%: vascular in 7.0%, infection in 5.0%, fracture or cortical violation in 4.0%, nerve injury in 1.9%, and tendon injury in 1.1%. Half (49.9%) were hospitalized, with a median stay of 3 days. After the change in K-9 policy, the number of patients with K-9 dog bites presenting to the Jail Ward ED decreased from 639 (1988–1991) to 66 (1992–1995). The proportion of patients who sustained three or more bites decreased from 58.4% to 45.5%. The rate of vascular complications decreased from 7.5% to 1.6%, the rate of fractures decreased from 2.4% to 0, and the rate of cortical violations increased from 1.4% to 6.3%. The proportion of patients hospitalized decreased from 52.0% to 33.8%. Conclusion: K-9 dog bites are associated with significant injuries and complications. In this study, changes in law enforcement K-9 policy contributed to a significant decrease in the overall number of individuals bitten, the number of injuries and complications, and the proportion of patients hospitalized. [Hutson HR, Anglin D, Pineda GV, Flynn CJ, Russell MA, McKeith JJ: Law enforcement K-9 dog bites: Injuries, complications, and trends. Ann Emerg Med May 1997; 29:637-642.]

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INTRODUCTION

Although dogs have been used in war for more than 2,000 years, they were initially trained for police work in Belgium in 1889 and in the United States in 1907.1 In the United States approximately 2,000 law enforcement agencies have K-9 dog units, comprising nearly 7,000 K-9 handler teams.1 Most law enforcement agencies prefer the German shepherd because of its size, keen senses of hearing and smell, intelligence, agility, and temperament2, 3, although Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers are also

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of the medical records of all patients with a law enforcement K-9 dog bite treated in the Jail Ward ED of the Los Angeles County–University of Southern California Medical Center between January 1, 1988 and December 31, 1995, was conducted. The Jail Ward ED and Jail Ward inpatient service provide acute care for any patient 16 years or older who is under arrest or incarcerated by a law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County. During the study period this medical center was

RESULTS

Between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1995, 790 patients presented to the Jail Ward ED with K-9 dog bites. Medical records for 705 (89.2%) were available for review (Figure). Each year more than 82% of medical records were available for review. The patients ranged in age from 16 to 62 years (median, 24 years; mean, 25 years). Adolescents aged 16 to 19 years accounted for 184 of in-custody patients with K-9 dog bites (26.1%). Of the in-custody patients with K-9 dog bites, 695 (98.6%) were

DISCUSSION

This study is the largest series of law enforcement K-9 dog bites ever reported in the medical literature. The vast majority of individuals bitten by law enforcement dogs were young, nonwhite, and male. In this study there were greater proportions of males and Hispanics in custody and a lower proportion of whites in custody compared with the overall felony arrests for Los Angeles County for the period 1988–1994.14 Because not all in-custody patients in Los Angeles County with K-9 bites required

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Joel Hart for his assistance in compiling data.

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    From the Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts*; and the Department of Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles County–University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

    ☆☆

    Supported in part by a grant from the Red Blanket Society.

    Reprint no.47/1/80263

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    Address for reprints: H Range Hutson, MD Department of Emergency Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School 75 Francis Street Boston, MA 02115

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