How should a tick be removed in a hospital? - briefly
Use fine‑tipped forceps to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure, avoiding twisting. Disinfect the bite area, place the removed specimen in a sealed container for identification, and record the event in the patient’s chart.
How should a tick be removed in a hospital? - in detail
Removing a tick in a clinical environment requires a sterile, systematic approach to minimize pathogen transmission and tissue damage.
First, prepare a clean work area and gather the necessary instruments: fine‑point tweezers or a dedicated tick‑removal device, sterile gloves, antiseptic solution (e.g., povidone‑iodine), gauze, and a labeled container with 70 % alcohol for specimen preservation if testing is indicated.
The procedure proceeds as follows:
- Don protective gloves to prevent cross‑contamination.
- Expose the attachment site by gently parting the patient’s hair or clothing; clean the skin with antiseptic.
- Grasp the tick as close to the mouthparts as possible using tweezers or the removal tool. Avoid squeezing the abdomen, which can force infected fluids into the host.
- Apply steady, upward traction without twisting. A smooth pull extracts the whole organism.
- Inspect the tick for remaining mouthparts; if fragments remain, repeat the grasp‑and‑pull step or use a sterile scalpel to excise residual tissue.
- Disinfect the bite area with antiseptic and cover with a sterile dressing if needed.
- Place the extracted tick in the alcohol‑filled container, label with patient ID, date, and location of bite for possible laboratory analysis.
- Document the incident in the patient’s record, noting the species (if identified), duration of attachment, and any prophylactic measures taken (e.g., antibiotics or tetanus update).
Post‑removal monitoring includes informing the patient about signs of tick‑borne illness (fever, rash, arthralgia) and providing instructions for follow‑up if symptoms develop. If the tick is identified as a vector for Lyme disease or other pathogens, clinicians may consider a single dose of doxycycline as prophylaxis, following current guidelines.
Adhering to this protocol ensures safe extraction, accurate specimen handling, and appropriate patient counseling.