Reconstruction of face and scalp after dog bites in children.

OBJECTIVE to evaluate the immediate reconstruction of face and scalp after canine bites in children. METHODS we conducted a prospective series of cases treated at the Emergency Unit of the Asa Norte Regional Hospital, Brasília - DF, from January 1999 to December 2014. At the time of patient admission to the emergency, the primary wound closure of the face and scalp bite was performed, regardless of the time or day of the event. The primary treatment of the bites was by means of direct suture, flaps rotation or grafting, depending on the type of wound and surgeon's decision. RESULTS the study comprised 146 children, with the zygomatic region and scalp being the main sites of head bites. All patients received surgical treatment within the first 24 hours after admission. There were no infectious complications in the cases studied. CONCLUSION the findings suggest that the immediate closure of canine bites on the face and scalp in children is safe, even when carried out several hours after injury.