HUMAN BITE INJURIES ON THE JOS PLATEAU.

BACKGROUND

Human bite injuries with the associated morbidity are not uncommon in this environment.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the pattern, management modalities and treatment outcome of human bites in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

DESIGN

A prospective study of all human bite injuries managed at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria between January 2012 and December 2014.

SETTING

Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The pattern and management outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 63 patients with human bite injuries were studied during the three-year period. There were 43 males and 20 females with a male:female ratio of 2:1. The age ranged from 8 - 65 years with a mean age of 30.217 years; in all about 75% of the patients fell into the 20 - 40 years bracket. Though all the social strata were affected, the bites were more common (50%) among the lower social classes and 70% of the patients presented late after 24 hours of sustaining bite injuries. Pain, bleeding, infected wounds, bite and scratch marks were the main presenting features. About 70% of the patients sustained major bites involving the underlying muscles and deeper structures while 89% of the patients sustained their bites during a fight, 8% while raping their victims, and in 3% of patients as they were being mugged. The bites were between spouses in 39% of cases, and between women in polygamous settings in 16%. The sites commonly affected were the upper limbs in 46%, chest in 21%, ears in 13%, abdomen in 10% and the penis in 6%. The associated injuries were scratch marks in 89%, blunt abdominal injuries in 29%, skin lacerations in 16% and urinary bladder/urethral injuries in 3%. There was no mortality but morbidity was 57% which included infections in 29%, disfigurement in 29%, penile injuries in 6% and minor urethral injuries in 3% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Human bite injuries in this tropical environment commonly affected the young male, the lower social class and the upper limbs; they were commonly sustained in assaults and domestic conflicts.