What to do after a dog bite?

 If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, particularly a dog: 

Step 1: Wash the wound immediately with soap & water. 

Step 2: Flush the wound thoroughly for about 15 minutes with copious amounts of water. 

Step 3: Apply an iodine-containing (like povidone-iodine) or anti-viral medication (surgical spirit) to the wound 15 minutes after it has been washed and flushed.

Note 1: Avoid applying irritants to wounds such as chili powder, plant juices, acids, and alkalis. 

Note 2: Avoid covering the wound with dressings or bandages. 

Suturing of the wounds should be avoided. 

• In the case of lacerated wounds with severe bleeding, where suturing cannot be avoided, the wound should first be infiltrated with rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs) and minimum a number of stay sutures should be applied later. 
• If suturing is needed for cosmetic purposes, it is preferably done 2 weeks after starting vaccination, as a patient would develop protective antibodies by then.

Step 4: Go to a Hospital/ health care facility for further assessment and treatment by a doctor/ healthcare professional. 

• If possible collect information on bitting animals and the bite circumstance to provide to the health care professional and observe the animal for 10 days.

Step 5: Further management like 

• The Categorization of animal bite wound(s)
• Proper local ocal treatment of wound(s). 
• Administration of Rabies Immunoglobulins (RIG).
• Administration of Tetanus toxoid injection.
• Anti Rabies Vaccination (ARV).

will be done at the hospital by a doctor/ health care professional.

References:

1. https://www.who.int/health-topics/rabies#tab=tab_3
2. http://www.apcri.org/pdf/APCRI%20RIG%20Manual.pdf
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies/
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