C. Ricard

Descriptive study of dog bites in France—Severity factors, factors of onset of sequelae, and circumstances. Results of a survey conducted by InVS and Zoopsy in 2009-2010

ABSTRACT An interdisciplinary epidemiologic survey was undertaken on dog bites in France from May 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Medical information was collected from 8 emergency services, and a telephone questionnaire was conducted by veterinary behaviorists. A second questionnaire was conducted 1 month after the dog bite to determine how the bite wound had healed. In children, dog bites were more frequent on the head and neck, but the lesions were more severe in adults. Bites were more numerous and more severe when the victim knew the dog that bit them. No association was found between the severity of the bite and the type of dog that bit, including breed, sex, and weight. In adults, bites occurred primarily as a result of the victim trying to separate 2 fighting dogs, whereas children were bitten when they interacted with a familiar dog. Among those who responded to the follow‐up questionnaire 1 month after the bite, 39% reported sequelae. Esthetic sequelae were the most (80%) of sequelae reported. Women and adults reported more sequelae than did men and children. Measures should be adopted based on the results of this survey.

483 Dog bites: severity and sequelae, a multicenter survey, France, September 2010 – December 2011

Background Every year in France, dog bites result in several thousand admissions in emergency departments and numerous hospitalizations. The purpose of this survey was to identify severity factors and sequelae due to dog bites. Methods An epidemiological study about the severity of 485 dog bites was carried out in eight hospital emergency departments between 2009 and 2010; a study investigating sequelae 16 months after the bite was conducted among 298 of the 485 patients. Patients and dogs characteristics were collected by caregivers and veterinarians, 16-month sequelae were asked to patients by questionnaire. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to explore severity and sequelae risk factors. Results In children, bites were more frequent in the head and neck, but lesions were more severe in adults. The bites were more numerous and more serious when the victim knew the biting dog. No association was found between the severity of the bite and the type of biting dog. Almost half of respondents (47%) reported sequelae; most of them were aesthetic (91%). There were more sequelae when the bite was located at the head or inferior limbs; the sequelae were more frequent among women, when the weight of the biting dog was higher, and when the initial severity of the bite was higher. The link between the victim and the dog, the sex of the dog, the type of aggression, as well as the age of the victim, had no impact on the occurrence of sequelae. One patient out of seven was still having pain 16 months after the bite, women more often than men. Conclusions Numerous patients still suffer 16 months after a dog bite, articles providing this type of results were not found in the literature. Dissemination of these results among professionals (physicians and veterinarians) and the general public should contribute to make dog owners aware of the risk of bite and the means to avoid them.

454 Unintentional injuries from birth up two months: data from the elfe cohort in France

Background The Elfe Cohort (French Longitudinal Study of Childhood), consisting of more than 18,000 children recruited in 2011 in French maternity hospitals, aims at better understanding child development, particularly in terms of health and social relations. This cohort will describe familial and environmental risk factors of injuries occurring in children, and analyse the long term outcome of casualties and the prognostic factors for the occurrence of sequelae. Methods The study focused on 15,869 children included in the Elfe Cohort for whom data were collected at birth and at two months of life. Information was available on the child’ socio-cultural context, health, conditions of birth, place of residence, as well as traumatic events in the first two months. Results During the first two months of life, 73 cases seeking healthcare due to an injury were recorded: 54 consultations and 19 hospitalizations. Head injury was reported in 55 cases. The victims were mostly boys and single children. The socio-demographic characteristics of families were mixed: more precarious and smaller dwellings, parents usually more inactive, mostly French mothers and higher median income. The victims were more likely to sometimes sleep with their parents; they were less often premature (2% vs. 5%); their mothers were less likely to have consumed alcohol during pregnancy (1% vs 4%). Conclusions These preliminary results will be followed by a detailed description of injuries occurring at 1 year, 2 years of age and beyond, based on the children’s growth. The casualties’ outcome will be analysed and compared to that of the non-injured. The implications depending on the severity will be compared with data from other surveys. Among data sources on injuries in France (medical administrative bases, population surveys, thematic surveys), the Elfe cohort is the only one that can identify the outcome of injured children.