Comprehensive Dental Management of a Medically Compromised Individual under Anticoagulant Therapy – A Victim of Rabid Dog Bite

ABSTRACT

In India, about 15 million people are bitten by animals, mostly dogs, every year and need post-exposure prophylaxis. Most animal bites in India (91.5%) are by dogs, of which about 60% are strays and 40% pets. The incidence of animal bites is 17.4/1000 population. Oral anticoagulants are usually prescribed for patients recovering from cardiovascular diseases, ischemic incidents such as myocardial infarction and angina pectoris followed by cerebrovascular accidents. Patients are usually placed under antiplatelet or oral anticoagulants increase the hemorrhage risk after oral surgical procedures. Here, we report a case of a patient on anticoagulants who, while seeking dental treatment, was bitten by a rabid street dog and shed light on the decisions faced by a dental professional while treating such patients.