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# For Animal Bites | |
# Antibiotics | |
Clean animal bites well with soap and water. Give antibiotics | |
because animal bites are especially likely to become infected. | |
antibiotics | |
Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is the best choice for treating | |
animal bites. | |
If you do not have amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, use 2 | |
antibiotics: Give one of these: doxycycline, cotrimoxazole, or | |
penicillin V | |
*AND* one of these: metronidazole or clindamycin | |
If the bite was from a dog, a bat, or another animal that could have | |
rabies, also give a rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin if | |
needed (see below). | |
# Rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin | |
Where there are animals with rabies, any animal bite or scratch | |
breaking the skin will need thorough cleaning with soap and water for | |
at least 15 minutes, a series of rabies vaccine injections, and, if | |
the rabies risk is high, also an injection of rabies immunoglobulin. | |
Even if there is no rabies immunoglobulin available, washing the skin | |
very well right away and giving the series of rabies vaccine can | |
prevent rabies. | |
deep wounds | |
## Using rabies vaccine | |
Inject the complete vial of vaccine (either 0.5 ml or 1 ml depending | |
on the vaccine manufacturer) into the upper arm muscle on the day of | |
the bite, and then again on days 3, and 7. Then, a fourth injection | |
is given between day 14 (2 weeks) and 28 (4 weeks) after the bite. | |
For a child 2 years or younger, give injections in the upper thigh | |
(not the buttock). | |
When giving rabies immunoglobulin, also give rabies vaccine, but use | |
a different clean needle and inject in a different place on the body. | |
## Using rabies immunoglobulin | |
There are two forms of rabies immunoglobulin, one made from human | |
serum (HRIG) and one made from horse serum (ERIG). HRIG is safer. | |
## Important! | |
Rabies immunoglobulin can cause a severe allergic reaction for some | |
people. Always have epinephrine (adrenaline) available in case of an | |
allergic reaction. | |
antihistamines | |
## How to use | |
Injection | |
Inject rabies immunoglobulin in and around the cleaned wound. | |
If there are several wounds and the amount of rabies immunoglobulin | |
you have is not enough to inject into each one, add buffered saline | |
solution to double the amount of liquid. Then the person will still | |
receive the correct dose and all wounds will receive some medicine. | |
If using Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG), | |
-> inject 20 units per kg one time. | |
If using Equine Rabies Immune Globulin (ERIG), | |
-> inject 40 units per kg one time. | |
> from NEW WHERE THERE IS NO DOCTOR © Hesperian Health Guides, | |
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