Mistakes to avoid when being bitten by a dog.

(Baonghean.vn) - Rabies is extremely dangerous and threatens the lives of victims. Most people are confused about how to react when bitten by a dog, leading to unfortunate consequences. Below are the correct and incorrect ways to handle a dog bite.

Things you need to know about rabies in dogs

53 people bitten by rabid dogs, 1 dead, entire village in panic.

Wayshandlemistakes when beingdog bite:

1. Not vaccinated

Vaccination is the best way to combat rabies; however, many people are complacent and do not get vaccinated, leading to serious consequences. Statistics show that the majority of rabies deaths are due to victims neglecting preventative measures.

Vietnam has a vaccine to prevent rabies after being bitten by rabid dogs or cats, but there are still many unfortunate deaths due to a lack of understanding in prevention, and failure to promptly and properly handle and treat cases after being bitten by rabid dogs.

Vaccination is the best way to combat rabies. (Illustrative image)

2. Ask a traditional healer to check for rabies virus.

Currently, due to a lack of understanding, some people mistakenly believe that getting vaccinated after being bitten by a rabid dog will cause them to become mentally incapacitated. Therefore, they seek out traditional healers to obtain herbal remedies. Many families have suffered the pain and helplessness of their loved ones after a period of "following" these healers for treatment.

A wound alone cannot indicate whether a dog is carrying a disease or not. Seeking a checkup from a traditional healer is a serious mistake. Therefore, the safest option is to get a vaccination checkup at a local Preventive Medicine Center or health station.

3. Being complacent because it's a pet dog.

Rabies spares no dog, even pet dogs. Once they carry the rabies virus, a bite will transmit the disease and cause death if the bitten person is not vaccinated in time.

How to handle itcorrectWhen bitten by a dog:

1.First aid at the scene of a dog bite.

- If a child is bitten by a dog, quickly take them to a running tap and gently wash the wound with soap (note: do not wash or scrub the wound too hard), or you can use concentrated saline solution, antiseptic solution such as alcohol... to clean the wound.

Use an antiseptic solution to clean the dog bite wound. (Illustrative image)

- If the wound bleeds within 10-15 minutes after being bitten by a dog, do not try to stop the bleeding while washing the wound. Only stop it after 15 minutes if the bleeding continues. At this point, place three medical gauze pads on the wound and wait for 7 minutes. If the bleeding continues heavily, add a few more gauze pads on top. Note that you should not remove the previous gauze pads as this will cause more bleeding. Wait until the bleeding stops before bandaging the wound.

- In case of a deep wound and the child is bleeding profusely, with blood spurting out, use a rubber band to apply a tourniquet around the wound and limb. Then, quickly take the child to the nearest medical facility for prompt emergency treatment to prevent excessive blood loss.

- For deep bites, you must wait 3 days before stitching the wound. This is true even if the dog has been vaccinated against rabies.

2.Administer rabies serum and vaccine.

- Immediate rabies vaccination is necessary in the following cases:

Deep bites or even minor bites in dangerous areas such as the head, neck, face, limbs, and genitals require prompt medical attention, including immediate administration of rabies serum and vaccine.

If a child is bitten by a rabid dog, or if the dog shows signs of rabies, or if the animal cannot be tracked after the bite, or if the accident occurs near an area experiencing an outbreak of rabies in dogs and cats, the victim should be taken for rabies vaccination immediately.

If bitten by a rabid dog, you should get vaccinated.

If bitten by a dog, preventive treatment involves getting a rabies vaccine. (Illustrative image)

- Do not administer the injection immediately; monitor the patient for 15 days in the following cases:

The bite was mild, far from vital areas and the central nervous system.

The dog showed no signs of rabies and was in an area free of dog and cat diseases.

Within 15 days of a dog bite, if the dog develops rabies, dies, goes missing, or is slaughtered, the child should be promptly vaccinated against rabies. After 15 days, if the dog is healthy, the mother does not need to take the child for rabies vaccination.

If children are not vaccinated after being bitten by a rabid dog, the antiserum will no longer be effective, and only the rabies vaccine will be available. Therefore, parents must strictly adhere to the vaccination schedule and dosage prescribed by the doctor.

Hoa Le

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