Wound closure is a source of controversy in the management of patients with human bite wounds. In general, do not close hand wounds, puncture wounds, infected wounds, or wounds more than 12 hours old. Allow such wounds to heal by secondary intention. They may be closed secondarily or revised at a later date.
Head and neck wounds, being in a cosmetically sensitive area, may be closed if they are less than 12 hours old and are not obviously infected. These wounds have been closed with a low incidence of infection, probably because of excellent blood supply and infrequency of edema.
The following points deserve specific mention:
Antibiotic prophylaxis is mandatory in these patients.
Perform closure in a simple, interrupted fashion, avoiding layered closure with buried sutures.
The objective is to provide wound edge approximation that is not watertight and still allow for drainage.
For more on wound closure in patients with human bite wounds, read here.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Richard H. Sinert. Fast Five Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Key Aspects of Human Bite Wounds - Medscape - Apr 02, 2018.
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