Soft Tissue Inflammation of the Arm and Hand Caused by Human Bites

Abstract

Wounds caused by human bites have a high infection rate. A 59-year-old male patient came to our poison control center because of soft tissue injuries in the left arm and left hand, pain, swelling, and necrosis. Before entering the hospital, he had a high fever. Physical examination found that the patient’s lips were dry, his tongue was dirty, his skin and mucous membranes were less pink, his pulse was 80 beats/min, and his temperature was 36.5°C. Information on May 9, 2024, the patient was bitten on the left arm by a child. The patient had a negative blood culture, a negative burn fluid culture, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein of blood chemistry is 458.1 mg/L, total blood cell analysis with white blood cell is 19.9 G/L, percent of neutrophil is 92.4, soft magnetic resonance imaging of the arm and hand areas with images is cellulitis under the skin of the left arm.The patient was injected with antitetanus toxin serum, antibiotics (Dalacin C, Linezonide, meropenem), and was infused paracetamol. After 1 day of treatment, the patient’s condition did not improve and worsened, so the patient was transferred to the National Burn Hospital for further treatment. This article aims to talk about soft tissue injuries due to soft tissue inflammation or necrosis that can occur in patients who are bitten by human. This is the first patient with soft tissue damage with cellulitis under the skin of the left arm known at our poison center.