Penetrating Head Injury Resulting From Wild Boar Attack in Republic of Korea: A Case Report

Few cases of injuries caused by wild boars have been reported in the literature. Here, we present the case of a 64-year-old male patient who was attacked by a wild boar. The patient had a laceration to the right forehead and a penetrating wound in the area before the right auricle. Computed tomography scan revealed traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, right temporal lobe contusion hemorrhage, pneumocephalus, right zygomatic arch and temporal bone fracture, and right coronal process fracture of the mandible. Prophylactically, 2,000 mg of ceftriaxone and 400 mg of moxifloxacin were intravenously administered every 24 hours. An emergency craniectomy was performed because the skull fracture was an open fracture and control of the increased intracranial pressure was necessary. Inactivated Rabies Virus Vaccine was also administered postoperatively. We concluded that, unlike typical wounds from other traumatic causes, the risk of wound infection is higher. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality due to wild boar attacks, rapid stabilization of the patient's vital signs, prevention of infection with appropriate antibiotics, and surgical intervention at the appropriate time and method are necessary.