Evaluation of Cases with Rabies Risk Presenting to Emergency Department

Aim: All around the world 10-12 million people/year receive rabies prophylaxis. Rabies is an acute fatal central nervous system viral enfection. The virus can infect all warm-blooded animals and almost in all cases the enfection results with fatal encephalitis. The aim of this study is to determine the demographic characteristics of cases with rabies risk exposures and behind this to emphasise the significance of cooperation between the institutions to perform effective and accurate treatment. Material and Method: This study was performed with retrospective analysis of 1429 cases who attended to Emergency Department of Diyarbakir Goverment Hospital between January 2007-2010 for animal bites and exposures with the risk of rabies. Statistical analysis of data was performed SPSS V16 pocket programme. Data were defined as frequency and %. For statistical analysis Chi-Square and Fischer exact test was used. A value of P<0.05 was accepted statistically significant. Results: A total of 1055 (73.8%) were male, 374 (26.2%) were female and the mean age was 21.75 ± 16.9 (6 months-87 years). The major group in children was 6-11 years old and 651 (% 45.5) of the cases attended to hospital were under 18 years old. The vast majority (39.3%) in adults were between 19-49 years. In our study 808 (56.5%) of the cases  were bitten, 597 (41.8%) of the cases  were scrabbled by the animal and 24 (1.7%)of them  had indirect contact with the animal Both of them were taken into prophylactic vaccination programme (p<0.05). The vast majority of animal bites were dog (67%)  and cat (28%). 3 doses of Human diploid cell vaccine-HDCV were administered to 1001 (70%) of the patients and 5 doses to 428 (30%) of patients. Human rabies immune globulin-HRIG were administered to 475 (33,3%) of the patients in addition to vaccine. Discussion:  In our region rabies risk exposure is an important public health problem. Public oriented education should be given about attending to health care facilities as soon as possible in risk exposure situations