Warning: Dog Bites Can Be Painful and Costly

Dog bites can be painful and costly, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We go above and beyond for our patients to try to prevent any unnecessary emergency department visits. We can treat dog bites, cuts, asthma attacks, and several other urgent care-type concerns in our office. This goes a long way for our patients, giving them the assurance that their doctor is available to them and protects their pocket books from over charges at the hospital.

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Another week another laceration repair. This time it was Sunday evening at 6:20 pm when I got the text 📲 Our guy got bit by a dog 🐕 and a few stitches 🧵 would be needed. I met him up at the office at 7:10 pm and gently placed 3 sutures. Usually you leave dog bite wounds open, but the Infectious Diseases Society of American (IDSA) recommends closing facial lacerations because it is cosmetically important and has a lower rate of infection relative to other areas, perhaps due to better blood supply. It took about 1 hour of my time in total, but saved my patient a few thousand dollars 💵 by preventing an ER 🚨 visit. Also, we stock the Augmentin antibiotic that he needed, which only cost him $8. In this #directprimarycare model, our patients get the care and attention they need, when they need it at an affordable cost. Our healthcare system is better off too, because now the ER doc can focus more time and attention on the patients who are coming in with heart attacks and strokes. #winwinwin #somuchwinning #fixinghealthcare #familymedicine #primarycare

A post shared by Paul Thomas MD (@plumhealthdpc) on Feb 18, 2020 at 3:58pm PST

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Dog Bite Laceration on lower lip before

Dog Bite Laceration on lower lip, after 3 sutures at Plum Health DPC in Detroit Michigan