-Case Reports-

Prompt Procedures Have a Great Impact on the Consequences of Asiatic Black Bear Mauling

Goh Akiyama¹, Hiroaki Kuwahara², Rintaro Asahi², Ryoichi Tosa¹ and Hiroyuki Yokota³

¹Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Aizu Chuo Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
²Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
³Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

Introduction: Although bear-inflicted human injuries are rare and the mortality rate of the injuries is usually not high, the chances of bear-human interactions have been increasing, with fatal cases being reported in Japan every year. The aim of this study was to report a series of bear-inflicted injuries and discuss their management and severity.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed at the emergency and critical care center of Aizu Chuo Hospital, a tertiary care center in Japan, from May 2013 to September 2015. During this period, we encountered 14 black bear injury patients (12 men and 2 women).
Results: Six victims were attacked in dense forests while collecting wild vegetables; 4 victims were attacked near their houses. Lacerations of the scalp and face were the most frequent injuries, affecting 13 patients. Three patients developed hemorrhagic shock. Injury severity scores ranged from 2 to 12 (median value, 6). None of the injuries was fatal. Thirteen patients were transported by the local fire department's ambulances, 9 of whom were transferred to doctor ambulances.
Conclusions: Although the severity and mortality rate following bear-inflicted injuries are not high, these encounters usually take place in remote rural areas, so a delay in rescue and proper care can lead to the incident becoming fatal. Hence, early decisions and arrangements for patient transportation to a tertiary care center and prompt measures to save lives will have a positive impact on the consequences of such incidents.

J Nippon Med Sch 2017; 84: 294-300

Keywords
trauma, shock, pre-hospital care/medical control

Correspondence to
Goh Akiyama, MD, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Aizu Chuo Hospital, 1-1 Tsurugamachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-0011, Japan
s9003@nms.ac.jp

Received, October 7, 2016
Accepted, August 24, 2017