Original article
Revisiting detachment techniques in human-biting ticks

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.01.032Get rights and content

Background

Early and complete removal of ticks using the right technique is important to reduce tick-transmitted diseases. Several chemical and mechanical detachment techniques have been described previously.

Objective

We aimed to compare the performance of 4 tick-detachment techniques that are widely used in human beings and to determine the optimal method from these techniques.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 patients between April and June 2010. Patients with reported tick bite were reviewed retrospectively and divided into the following 4 groups according to the tick-detachment technique used: card detachment, lassoing, freezing, and tweezers. Performance of each technique was evaluated according to the number of fully detached, nondetached, and crushed ticks and the duration of application.

Results

Of the 160 tick-bite cases assessed, we found the following efficacy rates: 82.5% (33/40), technique using tweezers; 47.5% (19/40), lassoing technique; 7.5% (3/40), card detachment; and 0% (0/40), freezing technique. The efficacy rate of the technique using tweezers was significantly higher than that of the other 3 techniques (P < .05).

Limitations

This was a relatively small sample size and not designed as a randomized clinical trial.

Conclusion

Tick detachment using tweezers, performed in an appropriate manner, is the easiest and most effective technique.

Section snippets

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 patients admitted to the Dermatology Clinic at the Haseki Training and Research Hospital with reported tick bite between April and June 2010. Informed consents of the patients were reviewed and those were voluntary included in the study. Because the study is a part of public health studies and the Haseki Training and Research Hospital is connected to the Provincial Health Directorate, its approval by the ethics committee was exempted. To ensure the

Results

The efficacy rates were 7.5% for the card-detachment technique, 47.5% for the lassoing technique, 0% for the freezing technique, and 82.5% for tick detachment using tweezers. For applications carried out by the card-detachment technique, immature ticks in all physiologic situations and newly attached or semiengorged adult ticks (Fig 1) could not be detached; such ticks easily slipped from the aperture of the device. The lassoing technique failed to detach small immature ticks and tightly

Discussion

Transmission of infectious agents by ticks is closely related to blood-sucking time of ticks. For the prevention of transmission, early and appropriate removal of the attached ticks is of utmost importance.7, 8, 9, 10

Although a large number of mechanical, chemical, and physical techniques have been described for tick detachment, there is limited experimental evidence to support the suggested strategies. The main chemical and physical tick-detachment techniques include the use of vegetable oil,

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    • Cited by (0)

    Funding sources: None.

    Conflicts of interest: None declared.

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    © 2016 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc.