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A 60-year-old shopkeeper nearly lost his arm after being bitten by a thief during a raid on his store and was only saved from amputation after undergoing around 90 hours of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The incident happened in Uskudar, Turkey, when the man, identified as N.U., was attacked during a robbery one and a half years ago, local media reported on 17th August.
One of the two thieves escaped, but the other, whom N.U. managed to grab, bit his left hand before fleeing.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance, treated in the emergency room, and discharged without any fractures.
The following day he suddenly developed severe chills and a fever and was admitted to Sultan II Abdulhamid Han Training and Research Hospital.
N.U. spent 15 days in the infection ward, but his condition worsened and his arm swelled to twice its size down to the elbow.
Doctors from the hospital’s Marine and Underwater Medicine Department placed him in a hyperbaric chamber, a type of treatment where the body is exposed to pure oxygen allowing it to fight off infection more quickly.
A team led by Dr Yavuz Aslan carried out three and a half months of treatment including hyperbaric sessions and physiotherapy, saving N.U.'s arm from being amputated.
Dr Aslan explained: "We noticed a large, necrotic wound on the patient's left hand.
"Within a few days, severe swelling had developed and spread to his elbow. We prioritised hyperbaric oxygen therapy because it helps treat infection.
“We scheduled the patient for two hours of oxygen therapy, one session per day.
"After wound dressings and surgical cleaning, the wound healed within one to two months.
"He regained full hand function. We saved his hand and forearm from amputation."
Dr Aslan added that this was the first human bite case he had encountered. He said samples revealed bacteria normally found in the human oral flora, including Eikenella and Kingella species, which can cause severe swelling, block lymph flow, and delay healing when they enter deep tissue.
N.U. said: "I caught the thieves; there were two of them. One was kicking me from behind to escape, and the other bit my hand. When he bit me, I lost strength in my arm.
"I called an ambulance, but the following day I developed a fever and was taken back to hospital. After three months of hyperbaric therapy and physiotherapy, my arm was saved.
"I'm 60 years old, and this is the first time I've learnt a human bite could cause something like this.
"After this incident, my shop was robbed again. They even took the safe and ripped off the protective door."
Police are understood to be searching for the suspects.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Mike Leidig
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Copychecker: Angela Trajkovska
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Simona Kitanovska
Geography: Üsküdar
Subject: Legal, Crime, Robbery, Victims, Violence
T4 Editor Story Rating: 8
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 7.5
