For a study, researchers analyzed the patient and wound parameters connected to the infiltration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) into wounds and detailed the features of wounds brought on by exposure to animals.
In a retrospective cohort research conducted at 15 emergency departments between May 2016 and June 2018, patients with visible wounds who received HRIG or the rabies vaccination for rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) were examined for wound features.
Nine children, 82 adults, and 19 older individuals were among the 110 patients included in the study. Of them, 21% (n = 23) had ≥2 wounds, and 10% (n = 11) had infected wounds. A serious wound was classified as one that required sutures (n = 20) or that reached subcutaneous tissue or bone (n = 20) in 28 (25%) of the patients. For 42% (n = 46) of the patients, wounds were found on the upper extremities, for 35% (n = 38) on the lower extremities, for 3% (n = 3) on the head and face, and for 21% (n = 23) in several sites. 64% (n = 70) of patients had wounds that were <3 cm long. Sixty% (n = 66) of patients had puncture wounds, 45% (n = 49) had abrasions, and 38% (n = 42) had lacerations. A total of 57% (n = 62) of the 108 wounds from 82 individuals who had HRIG administration sites were infiltrated. Infiltration occurred less commonly for wounds on the face/head/torso (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.49), wounds on hands/fingers (aOR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06 to 0.65), and abrasion-only wounds (aOR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.80) after adjusting for age.
Most patients did not have significant wounds when they presented for rabies PEP and did not need emergency care or complicated wound treatment. Less frequently did HRIG infiltrate wounds on the face, head, thorax, hands, fingers, and abrasions.
Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675722006271
