A healthy dog’s mouth contains more than 600 species of bacteria. When a dog bites a person, those bacteria are transferred through the bite into the victim’s bloodstream. The blood can spread the infection throughout the body.
What Is Blood Poisoning?
Blood poisoning is another word for bacteremia, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that results from the presence of bacteria in the blood. It is a serious illness that can result in organ failure and death. Symptoms of blood poisoning include:
- Sudden fever
- Chills
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Rapid heart rate
Blood Poisoning Can Cause Sepsis and Septic Shock
Untreated bacteremia can lead to sepsis. Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts and has an inflammatory response to an infection. The inflammation causes microscopic clots to form in the blood. These clots can prevent blood from reaching essential organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, or brain.
Sepsis is a medical emergency that requires hospitalization. If sepsis is allowed to progress, a patient’s blood pressure will drop, causing septic shock. Septic shock can lead to multiple organ failures and even death. Symptoms of sepsis include:
- Fever above 101.3 degrees F
- Body temperature below 95 degrees F
- Rapid heartbeat
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- Warm skin and possible marbled-looking skin rash
- Mottled skin
- Weakness
- Signs of infection
What to Do If You Suffer Blood Poisoning After a Dog Bite
If you experience any of the symptoms described above or any other symptoms of illness, we encourage you to get immediate medical attention. You may also identify the dog’s owner and report the bite to the local government.
Then, we encourage you to contact an experienced dog bite lawyer. Our dog bite attorneys will thoroughly review your claim and fight for your full recovery of damages which may include compensation for past and future:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
We invite you to learn more about your claim now by downloading a free copy of our Dog Bites Brochure and contacting us to schedule your free consultation in any of our 11 Midwest personal injury offices, your home or hospital room, or by phone or video conference.
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