Trends in in-hospital admissions due to dog bites in Ireland from 2012-2021

Aim Dog bites are a global health issue. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and characteristics of dog-bite related hospital admissions over a 10-year period.

Method All in-patient emergency admissions with a dog bite diagnosis (ICD 10-AM W54) were extracted from the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) system. Statistical analysis was carried out in JMP.

Results There were 3,158 emergency in-patient hospitalisations with a dog bite diagnosis. The rate increased significantly from 5.6 (95% CI 5.0-6.3) per 100,000 population in 2012 to 8.7 (95% CI 7.9-9.5) per 100,000 population in 2021, p=0.04). The rates were highest among children (0-14 years). The most common principal diagnoses were open wounds (2397, 75.9%) and fractures (246, 7.3%).

Discussion An increasing rate of dog-bite hospitalisations has been observed across the last decade. This suggests that dog control legislation and enforcement requires improvement. These findings support the case for improved policy interventions.