MayoClinic.com reprints
This single copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. For permission to reprint multiple copies or to order presentation-ready copies for distribution, use the reprints link below.
· Order reprints of this article now.
Human bites: First aid
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-human-bites/FA00057
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Human bites can be as dangerous as or even more dangerous than animal bites because of the types of bacteria and viruses contained in the human mouth. If someone cuts his or her knuckles on another person's teeth, as might happen in a fight, this is also considered a human bite.
If you sustain a human bite that breaks the skin:
- Stop the bleeding by applying pressure.
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
- Apply an antibiotic cream to prevent infection.
- Apply a clean bandage. If the bite is bleeding, apply pressure directly on the wound, using a sterile bandage or clean cloth, until the bleeding stops.
- Seek emergency medical care.
If you haven't had a tetanus shot within five years, your doctor may recommend a booster. In this case you should have the booster within 48 hours of the injury.
- Schwab RA, et al. Puncture wounds and mammalian bites. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2004. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=589759&searchStr=animal+bites#589759. Accessed Oct. 12, 2009.
- Human and mammal bites. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch325/ch325c.html. Accessed Oct. 12, 2009.
- What to do in a medical emergency: Bites and stings. American College of Emergency Physicians Foundation. http://www.emergencycareforyou.org/EmergencyManual/WhatToDoInMedicalEmergency/Default.aspx?id=210#spider_bites_and_scorpion_stings. Accessed Oct. 8, 2009.
Find Mayo Clinic on