Epidemiology of hospitalizations resulting from dog bites in California, 1991-1998.

We used population-based hospital discharge data to describe hospitalizations resulting from dog bites in California from 1991 through 1998, when there were 6676 such hospitalizations (average 835 per year; range 732 to 930), and the annual cumulative incidence for all ages was 2.6 per 100 000. Children had more than twice the risk of adults, and Asians had lower rates than Whites. Children aged 0 to 9 years were more likely to suffer wounds to the head and face.