Initial clinician assessment pathway

The following information will inform the risk assessment:

Animal characteristics:

• the species
• whether the bite/injury was provoked
• a description of the health of the animal
• the animal's vaccination status
• the origin of the animal (UK or elsewhere)

Exposure characteristics:

• date and time of exposure
• the country where the exposure occurred
• the nature of the exposure
  • any breach in skin
  • single/multiple wounds
  • contamination of animal saliva to human mucous membranes
  • bites to head, neck, face, hands or genitals.

Patient characteristics:

• is the patient fully vaccinated against rabies? How many does and when was this given?
• is the patient immunosuppressed?

Remember to consider the need for antibiotic prophylaxis and tetanus cover.