An 8-year-old male bitten by a stray dog has a large laceration to the back of his left hand. In addition to transporting the child to the hospital, you should:

• A. report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
• B. advise the child that he will need rabies shots.
• C. administer oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
• D. ask the child's father to try to locate the dog.

Answer: (A)

Reporting the incident to the appropriate authorities is the right move because a stray dog bite creates a potential rabies exposure risk and requires public health involvement. Notifying animal control or public health allows the animal to be located, observed, or tested, and ensures the patient can receive the proper medical evaluation for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis if needed. On the scene your primary tasks are safe transport and wound care; the hospital will determine if rabies PEP is indicated. It’s not appropriate to tell the family on the spot that the child will definitely need rabies shots, and sending a caregiver to locate the dog can be unsafe. Administering oxygen is unnecessary for a nonrespiratory injury like a hand laceration.