My brother got a scratch with a little blood from a street puppy around 5 to 6 months ago but had not informed us. He recently casually told us about that, so I just wanted to inquire if vaccine is required since it has been a couple of months already. Not sure if the scratch was from nails or teeth but it was a street puppy. Please advise, thank you.
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Yes get your brother vaccinated
As per your definition it’s a grade 3 scratch ( scratch with bleed)
In this case immediately the wound has to be washed with soap and water and ERIG/HRIG needs to be injected in and around the wound. Usually effective within 72hrs . In this case since the wound has healed get the complete IDRV doses 0-3-7-14-28
Vaccination is necessary for this case. As incubation period of rabies is long. It is better to get your brother vaccinated. For further query consult me on practo.
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LISTEN ALWAYS BETTER TO GO WITH VACCINE AS ARV REMAIN IN DORMATED STAGE FOR MOR THSN 15 YRS.
SO GO FOR VACCINE, ITS NOT TOO LATE.
ABHAYRUB, RABIVAX ANY ONE ON
0,3, 7, 28 DAY.
SITE
DELTOID REASON UPPER ARM
DOSE
1 ML
ROUTE
INTRADERMAL
Blood oozing makes it Cat 3 exposure
Ideally Rabies vaccine should have been given within 24 hrs
And Rabies IG within a week
Since it has been missed
One should consider getting fully immunized for future exposures
Patient's age?
ARV and RIG should ideally be taken within the first 24 hours.
However, since contact with blood has happened it's advisable to take the vaccines asap.
Need more details history so if you would like to know more details about this problem, you can reach me on procto or for a free detailed consultation on WhatsApp at nine one one nine two five five six nine nine
If there was bleeding or dog bite on already wounded skin then vaccine is must
But since it’s already been 3months vaccine doesn’t make sense
Just to be safe can take 1 course
Rabies is a serious but preventable viral disease. The rabies vaccine is only effective if given soon after exposure (ideally within hours to days). Since your brother’s scratch happened 5–6 months ago, giving the vaccine now will not help for that past exposure.
• If he has remained healthy and symptom-free till now, rabies infection from that scratch is extremely unlikely.
• No post-exposure vaccination is needed at this stage for that old injury.
Next Steps
• No action is required now for the old scratch.
• If he has any new animal bite/scratch in the future (especially from stray dogs/cats), wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for 15 minutes and consult a doctor promptly for rabies vaccination and possibly immunoglobulin.
• If your brother has frequent exposure to street dogs/puppies, he may consider pre-exposure vaccination (3-dose schedule) after consulting a doctor.
Health Tips
• Rabies once symptomatic is almost always fatal, but timely vaccination after exposure is highly protective.
• Encourage your brother to report any future scratches/bites immediately, so that treatment can be started without delay.
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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