Mammalian bite wounds are a very common clinical problem across the world. Systematic reviews have been conducted to address the role of education in preventing dog bite injuries in adolescents and children (Duperrex 2009) and antibiotic prophylaxis for mammalian bites (Medeiros 2001). However local wound management, one of the most important aspects in management of mammalian bites has not been evaluated by systematic reviews. The issue of primary closure versus delayed closure for non-bite traumatic wounds has been studied previously (Eliya-Masamba 2013), but this systematic review did not include mammalian bites. The issue of primary closure of animal bites remains controversial (Garbutt 2004), and a systematic review in this regard will help to make an objective assessment of this important question, and enable evidence-based clinical decision-making and guideline development.
A Cochrane Review on this is being conducted by Dr. Soumyadeep B and his colleagues. The protocol for the same has been publishes and is available here (Open Access in India by ICMR grant )
