Tick removal
Indications
- Tick attachment to the skin
Contraindications
- None
Equipment
- Gloves
- Fine-toothed forceps
- Fine suture
Technique
- Apply viscous lidocaine to kill the tick and anesthetize bite site
- Grasp tick with forceps as close to skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even traction.
- Alternatively, fine suture looped in a half-hitch around the tick between the skin and tick's body
- Take care not to squeeze or crush the tick body because this may expel infective agents.
- Do not twist or jerk the tick in order to prevent the mouth parts from breaking off during extraction.
- If mouth parts are left behind after removal of the body, they may be removed with tweezers.
- If one is still unable to remove the mouth parts, excision under local anesthesia will be needed to prevent local infection
- Once tick is removed wash the bite area with soap and water or antiseptic.
- Save tick in plastic bag for ID and aid in diagnosis if illness occurs.
Complications/Follow-up
- Monitor for signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease
- Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis or serologic testing is not recommended
- There is potential for secondary infections
See Also
External Links
Videos
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