Pediatric Emergency Department Visits for Dog Bites in Maryland, 2017–2024

Why It Matters

The findings highlight a persistent, preventable source of pediatric injury with rising clinical interventions and costs, signaling opportunities for targeted prevention, education, and public-health action to reduce seasonal and high-risk group burden.

Summary

A Maryland statewide review of pediatric ED visits for dog bites from 2017–2024 found roughly 1,800 children treated annually, with boys and children aged 5–9 at highest risk. Most patients were discharged the same day and hospital admission was uncommon, but nearly one-third required sedation or anesthesia for treatment. Injuries peaked in summer and were concentrated in urban areas, though rural children were overrepresented relative to their ED use. Medical charges rose substantially over the study period, and use of rabies and tetanus prophylaxis increased notably.

Original Description

Leticia Ryan, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Child Injury Prevention Network, discusses her presentation, which examines emergency department visits for dog bites among children and adolescents age 19 and younger across Maryland. The findings from this research were presented at the 2026 Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Research Conference. #SAVIR2026 #researchsaveschildren https://www.hopkinschildrens.org/emergencymedicine