| CLINICAL & HEALTH AFFAIRS | Hospital-Treated Dog Bites in Minnesota, 1998-2005 By Heather Day, R.N., M.P.H., Jon S. Roesler, M.S., and Mark Kinde, M.P.H. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract This paper is the first to describe the incidence of hospital-treated dog bites in Minnesota using hospital discharge data supplemented with medical record review. The rate of hospital-treated dog bites rose 40% during the 8-year period studied, with the largest growth being seen in the number of emergency department (ED) visits. The highest rates of both hospitalization and ED treatment occurred among children ages 1 to 4 years. In most instances (75%), the victim was familiar with the dog(s) involved. The dog bites most often occurred in the home (48%) and yard (18%). Our findings emphasize the importance of physicians, especially pediatricians and family physicians, counseling parents about the importance of supervising their children when they are around dogs and teaching them safe behaviors around animals. Finally, this study validates the value of hospital discharge data for surveillance of hospital- treated dog bites. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although a number of studies have demonstrated the health benefits of dog ownership, having a companion dog does not come without risk. Several recent high-profile dog-bite incidents in the Twin Cities have drawn attention to the very real potential of serious injury from a dog bite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 368,000 individuals were July 2007, Volume 90 Published monthly by the Minnesota Medical Association Page 1 of 5 Minnesota Medical Association - Publications 19/07/2007 http://www.mmaonline.net/Publications/MNMed2007/July/clinical-day.cfm