A patient presents with a human bite on the hand after a bar fight. What should be the next step in management?

In the case of a human bite that has occurred on the hand, the initial management typically focuses on the immediate care of the wound to prevent infection and facilitate healing. Human bites can introduce a number of pathogens, and the risk of infection is significant.

Oral antibiotics are often the first line of treatment in managing human bite wounds, particularly for those that are not severely infected but warrant treatment due to the high risk of infection associated with such injuries.

The use of oral antibiotics is backed by clinical practice guidelines that recommend them for human bites, especially when the injury is on the hand, as infections can lead to complications such as septic arthritis or tenosynovitis if not treated adequately.

Wound cultures are not routinely performed for all human bites, especially when the patient presents without signs of systemic infection since they may not alter the immediate management plan.

While measuring the wound depth and width can be helpful in assessing the severity and need for surgical intervention, it is not the immediate next step in intervention when considering potential infection. Intravenous antibiotics are typically reserved for more severe cases or when there are signs of systemic infection present, which may not apply in every instance of a human bite.

Therefore, choosing to order oral antibiotics reflects the appropriate