73 - Pediatric Dog Bites Injuries across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Friday, April 28, 2023

5:15 PM – 7:15 PM ET

Poster Number: 73
Publication Number: 73.112

Paul T. Menk, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; E. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Stephanie Ruest, Hasbro Children's Hospital at Rhode Island Hospital, Foxboro, MA, United States; Maneesha Agarwal, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta / Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Hope Mullins, Arkansas Children's Hospital, little Rock, AR, United States; Elizabeth G. Curtis, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Wendy J. MD, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Holly R. Hanson, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Paul T. Menk, MD (he/him/his)

Resident
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Background:

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the national dog adoption rate increased 9% compared to 2019. This created more potential child-dog interactions with stay-at-home orders and school closures. The effects of these restrictions on pediatric dog bite injuries are not well studied.

Objective:

To examine differences between dog bite injuries in 0-18 year-old patients seen in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic to those seen prior to the pandemic.

Design/Methods:

This is a sub-analysis of a cross-sectional study of injured children < 18 years old seen in 40 PEDs, from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2020. Patients studied had an ICD-10 code for dog bite (ICD-10 W54.0XXA). Patients > 18 years and subsequent visits for the same injury were excluded. Cases before the pandemic (March 17, 2019, through December 31, 2019) were compared to cases during the pandemic (March 15, 2020, through December 31, 2020). Demographics and injury characteristics were compared with student's t-tests and chi-square analysis.

Results:

Of the 589,083 injuries seen at the study sites during the study period, 7,587 (1.3%) were dog bites. The proportion of dog bites to all injuries was significantly greater during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (1.6% vs 1.1%, p< 0.001). As shown in Table 1, no differences were seen in average age, sex, or race between patients seen before the pandemic compared to during the pandemic. However, children ages 5 to < 10 years old had a higher percentage of dog bites during the pandemic than before (36.3% vs 33.0%, p< 0.05). More dog bites occurred during daytime hours (08:00-15:59) during the pandemic than before (29.2% vs. 26.9%, p< 0.05). Patients paid with private insurance more often during the pandemic than prior to the pandemic. The admission rate for dog bites was significantly higher during the pandemic than prior (12.9% vs 11.4%, p< 0.05). During the pandemic, patients had more moderate to very severe injury severity scores ( >9) than prior (1.9% vs. 1.1%, p=0.027). More injuries to the head, face, or neck occurred during the pandemic than before (62.8% vs 58.3%, p< 0.01).

Conclusion(s): Pediatric dog bites accounted for significantly more of the injuries seen during the COVID-19 pandemic than before. A higher proportion of dog bites during the pandemic occurred from 8 am to 4 pm. Dog bites during the pandemic were more often to the head, face, or neck, had higher injury severity scores, and required admission more frequently. These results will help guide prevention efforts for possible future pandemics.