Packing a Punch: Fight Bite Induced Septic Joint

‘Fight bites’ constitute a considerable number of accidental human bite injuries. Where the mechanism involves a closed fist contacting another person’s teeth, the subsequent injury tends to involve the metacarpophalangeal joint region. These injuries are unique for their seemingly benign appearance...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2022-10, Vol.14 (10)
Hauptverfasser: Rehman, Mohammad Anzal, Nasser, Mohammad Issa, Ali, Omnia B, Ukwade, Patrick
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:‘Fight bites’ constitute a considerable number of accidental human bite injuries. Where the mechanism involves a closed fist contacting another person’s teeth, the subsequent injury tends to involve the metacarpophalangeal joint region. These injuries are unique for their seemingly benign appearance on initial presentation. Their presence can easily be missed if the treating physician does not seek investigative history and a high index of suspicion. If improperly managed, fight bites may be associated with the introduction of bacteria that may invade deeper tissues, causing potential debilitation from progressive infection.Our case discusses a 33-year-old female who presented three weeks after an altercation where a fight bite occurred but was not treated with antibiotics on discharge. Her clinical presentation matched a flexor sheath infection, which was revealed after investigation to be a consequence of a septic metacarpophalangeal joint that had also progressed to involve the underlying bones. The case outlines the dangers of improper assessment and management of fight bite injuries and reviews best practices surrounding the recognition, assessment, and treatment of these patients in the Emergency Department.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.30765