infestations Flashcards
(99 cards)
Pediculous humanus capitis aka ?
head lice
- Highly contagious disease that often occurs in schools and day-care centers
- It can cause outbreaks anywhere that people live in close quarters, including nursing homes, dorms, prisons.
- There is usually intense pruritus of the scalp
dx?
pediculosis capitis
describe a louse
- 1-3 mm long, flattened brownish-gray, with 3 pairs of legs and claws
- lifespan 14-18 days
- nits are 1 mm in diameter and opalescent
Pediculosis Capitis is MC in who and during when?
- MC in females
- White school aged children/mothers
- Warmer months
may be mistaken for pediculosis capitis; however, these scales are greasy, yellow, irregular in shape, and are easily removable, unlike the scales of pediculosis capitis, which adhere to the hair shaft
ddx?
seb derm
similar pruritus and lymphadenopathy but is associated with alopecia. Nits are not found on close examination of the hair
ddx?
Tinea capitis
living off plant detritus may be found in the scalp of a child who plays in wooded areas but are morphologically distinct from Pediculosis humanis capitis
ddx?
Psocid lice
3 ddx for Pediculosis Capitis that cause pruritic scalp but are morphologically distinctive skin disorders
- Psoriasis
- lichen planopilaris
- folliculitis
transmission and lifespan of pediculosis capitis
- Transmission is by close contact
- Direct head-to-head contact and fomites (eg, on clothes, brushes, linens, combs, hats, etc) - Lice live approximately 30 days on the host and <1 day off the host only a few hours.
- Eggs (nits) hatch within 7-10 days
- Maculae ceruleae or purpuric stains on the skin of the occipital scalp and nape of neck
- Occipital lymph nodes may swell as a result of secondary infection
- Microscopy will reveal an oblong structure attached to the hair at an acute angle with a lobular breathing apparatus at its superior end
dx?
Pediculosis Capitis
diagnostic pearls of Pediculosis Capitis
- Pyodermas in scalp along with occipital and cervical LAD suggest possible pediculosis infestation
- Nits are oval, tenacious hair concretions
- nits are not easily removed from the hair
- Hair casts, seen in other scalp disorders, move freely on the shaft Nits fluoresce and are readily detected with a Wood’s lamp
Infection with bacteria causing pus under the skin
term?
Pyodermas
best tests for pediculosis capitis
- Demonstration of lice or nits on hair visually or under microscope
- Wood’s lamp demonstrates fluorescent nits
There is evidence of increasing resistance of lice to treatment with ____
permethrin
what may be used as an adjuvant to topical therapy fir pediculosis capitis
Manual nit removal with a fine comb
Standard Precautions for pediculosis capitis
Isolate patient, wear gloves and a gown, limit patient transport, and avoid sharing patient-care equipment
Pediculosis capitis Rx should be reserved for patients with ?
proven infestations that do not respond to proper application of OTC pediculicides
for pediculosis capitis, do not treat a child unless ?
live lice or eggs (not just empty nit cases) are present
OTC options for pediculosis capitis
- Permethrin 1% (Nix): Apply to dry hair, and rinse after 10 minutes Repeat in 1-2 weeks
- Pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide (RID, Pronto): Apply to dry hair, and rinse after 10 minutes Repeat in 1-2 weeks.
other 5 tx options for pediculosis capitis
Spinosad - adults and children older than 4 years
Malathion 0.5% lotion (Ovide)
Permethrin 5% (Elimite) (off-label use)
Ivermectin-formulated lotion (Sklice Lotion)
Oral ivermectin (off-label) - Not indicated in children < 5 yrs or wt < 15 kg.
Combing of the hair is not necessary, as this agent is ovicidal = first-line lice treatment by the American Academy of Pediatrics
which medication?
Spinosad
tx for pediculosis capitis on eyelid?
petrolatum BID to eyelid margins x 8 days
pediculosis corporis is Rarely found on the skin, as they live in and lay eggs on ?
clothing
- Extremely pruritic, especially at night when the lice move from the clothing to the body to feed
- The bites leave behind macules and papules concentrated in the intertriginous regions
Pediculosis Corporis