Interesting Case Series Cat Bite Cellulitis

A 59-year-old man presents one week after sustaining a cat bite wound on the dorsum of the left hand. On examination, the left hand is swollen, erythematous and exquisitely tender on both dorsal and volar-radial aspects. Red streaking is noted extending proximally up the forearm and there is significant limitation of function. Active range of motion deficits are present at the wrist and thumb due to pain and swelling. QUESTIONS 1. What is the potential risk associated with cat bites? 2. What are the common associated pathogens? 3. Describe the process of evaluating cat bite infections. 4. Discuss the treatment of cat bites according to severity of the injury. DISCUSSION Animal bites are a common entity among patient visits to the emergency department. In the United States, dog and cat bites comprise 1 % of all emergency department visits. Cat bites represent approximately 3 % to 15 % of these cases.1,2 They are more likely to involve the upper extremity and face, with varying rates of infection ranging from 28 % to 80%.