[Animal bite injuries in the head and neck area and their care]

Animal bites in the head and neck vary in severity. Surgical treatment depends on the size, extent and site of the wound. Straightforward injuries need only to be cleaned and disinfected or may require simple surgery. Extensive, complex bites must be treated by the techniques of plastic-reconstructive surgery. Good cosmetic results can only be achieved in this way. Lacerations should be treated immediately. Bites with loss of tissue can be treated immediately by flaps, skin or composite grafts or revascularised flaps. Usually however, the wound is covered by gauze impregnated with ointment or artificial skin. Two to three weeks after granulation the lesion is reconstructed. An anti-tetanus injection must be given for every animal bite. Simple bites do not require antibiotics, but extensive wounds do. The indication for rabies vaccination is described and questions concerning the treatment of injuries caused by rabid or suspected-rabid animals are clearly explained.