Tick Inspection and Removal
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Published:2021
2021. "Tick Inspection and Removal", Red Book: 2021–2024 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on Infectious Diseases, American Academy of Pediatrics, David W. Kimberlin, MD, FAAP, Elizabeth D. Barnett, MD, FAAP, Ruth Lynfield, MD, FAAP, Mark H. Sawyer, MD, FAAP
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Parents or caregivers should promptly inspect children’s bodies, clothing, and equipment they used during and after possible tick exposure (“tick check”). When conducting tick checks, special attention should be given to the exposed regions of the body where ticks often attach, including the head, neck, and around the ears. Ticks also may attach at areas of tighter clothing (eg, sock line, belt line, axillae, groin). Timely tick checks increase the likelihood of finding and removing ticks before they can transmit an infectious agent. Longer periods of attachment increase the probability of transmission of tickborne pathogens significantly. It is important to...