Demographic data for 203 children presenting to an urban trauma centre with dog bite injuries, and for 203 dogs reported to have bitten
Variable | Mean (SD) or (%) | |
Children (n=203) | ||
Gender | Male | 55.2 |
Female | 44.8 | |
Age | Mean; median | 7.2 years; 6.5 years |
0–2 years | 20.7 | |
3–6 years | 31.0 | |
7–12 years | 35.5 | |
12–17 years | 12.8 | |
Hospital admission | Yes | 16.7 |
Injury severity score (ISS) | ||
ISS-1 | 85.4 | |
ISS-2 | 9.1 | |
ISS-3 | 2.5 | |
ISS-4+ | 3.0 | |
Anatomical site of bite injury* | ||
Face/head | 52.5 | |
Arm/hand | 32.3 | |
Leg/foot | 20.6 | |
Other | 7.0 | |
Dogs | ||
Size | Small | 23.9 |
Medium | 38.8 | |
Large | 25.4 | |
Very large | 11.9 | |
Breed** | Mixed breed | 28.0 |
Pit bull type | 22.0† § | |
Rottweiler‡ | 6.0† | |
Labrador retriever‡ | 5.0† | |
Akita | 4.0† | |
Cocker spaniel | 4.0† | |
German shepherd‡ | 3.0† | |
Shih Tzu | 3.0† | |
Boxer‡ | 2.0† | |
Bulldog‡ | 2.0† | |
Yorkshire terrier‡ | 2.0† | |
Sex | Male | 73.3 |
Female | 26.7 | |
Neutered | Yes | 43.0 |
No | 57.0 | |
Age | Mean; median | 3.8 years; 3 years |
Neutered status was not available for 92 subjects (44.9%); dog sex was not available for 28 subjects (12.2%). Other variables had no more than 10% missing data.
* Children may have been bitten in more than one anatomical site.
† Percentage of purebred dogs.
‡ Listed in the top 10 registered AKC breeds in Philadelphia (2008).10
§ Not currently recognised by the AKC.
** Breeds represented with frequency ≥ n=4.