California Dog Bite Lawyers Concerned At Increase In Hospitalizations

California dog bite lawyers have been concerned about a new study that indicates an increase in hospital visits related to dog bites. According to the study, the number of people requiring hospital visits because of dog bites in the US rose from 5,100 in 1993 to 9,500 in 2008. That makes it an 86.3% increase in dog bite-related hospital stays.

The rate of hospital visits actually increased by 55% over the 16-year study period. The rate was 2.0 for every 100,000 people in 1993, and shot to 3.1 for every 100,000 people in 2008. The researchers also noted a particular peak in 1995.

In 2008, there were a total of 82,518 dog bite-related visits to the emergency department. That makes it an average of 866 emergency visits from a dog bite every day. In 2008, the number of hospital stays from dog bites was 9,500, with an average of 26 hospitalizations per day. Most serious dog bite injuries that required hospital stays included

* Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections
* Open wounds in the extremities
* Head and neck injuries
* Upper limb fractures
* Connective tissue disease
* Infective arthritis
* Crushing injuries septicemia
* Lower limb fractures

The most frequently performed procedures after a bite include

* Debridement of the dog bite wounds, infections and burns
* Skin sutures
* Procedures on muscles and tendons
* Skin grafts
* Incision and drainage
* Fractures and dislocation procedures
* Therapeutic procedures for the joints
* Therapeutic procedures of the eyelids and cornea
* Traction, splints and other wound care

There are some other interesting findings from the study. For instance, the researchers found that males were much more likely to be rushed to the emergency department after a dog bite than females. Approximately, 110.4 males per 100,000 had to be rushed to the hospital emergency room after a bite, compared to 97.8 females per 100,000. An average dog bite-related hospital stay costs $ 18,200. That is about 50% higher than the average cost of hospitalization for many of the injuries that California personal injury lawyers come across.

Approximately three fourth of the emergency room visits from dog bites involved patients below the age of 44. Among persons of this age group, just about half accounted for hospital stays after a dog bite. Serious dog bites requiring a visit to the emergency room or hospital stay were more frequent in the rural areas compared to urban areas. There were about four times as many visits to the emergency room and three times as many hospitalizations from dog bites in rural areas of the country.

The Midwest holds the record for the highest numbers of emergency room visits from dog bites with 109.9 visits per 100,000 population. This was followed by the Northeast with 108.5 visits per 100,000 population. The West has some of the least numbers of emergency room visits from dog bites, with 93 emergency room visits for every 100,000 population. Hospitalizations from dog bites were the highest in the northeast, where there were 3.9 hospital stays for every 100,000 population.