Indications based on wound location:
(1) bite of the hand or foot
(2) involvement of bone, joint space or tendon
(3) cranial injury in an infant or small child
Indications based on traumatic injury severity:
(1) major traumatic injury
Indications based on infectious complications:
(1) deep space infection
(2) tenosynovitis
(3) sepsis
(4) severe wound infection with systemic toxicity
(5) local infection or cellulitis in a patient with impaired host defenses (immunosuppression, asplenia, AIDS, diabetes, chronic alcoholism, etc.)
(6) signs of tetanus or rabies
