head lice

Question 1

what are the 3 stages of head lice?

Answer 1

o Louse eggs (ova) take 7-10 days to hatch and are usually strongly attached to the surface of the scalp (nits are empty shells
left after hatching)
o Nymphs are baby lice of pinhead size and pearly white in appearance
o Adult lice are around the size of a sesame seed and grey in appearance

Question 2

what are the referral criteria for head lice?

Answer 2

• Children under 6 months of age
o OTC preparations are not licensed for the treatment of headlice in children under
6 months of age
• If OTC preparations have failed refer to GP for investigation (lice may have acquired
resistance to treatment)

Question 3

what is the lifestyle advice for head lice?

Answer 3

Children in primary school should be investigated for headlice at least once a week, especially at the start of the high school year
Wet combing — this is the systematic combing of wet hair with a louse detection comb to
remove head lice

Question 4

what are drug treatment options for headlice?

Answer 4

Physical insecticides are
Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are parasitic insects that infest the hairs of the human head
and feed on blood from the scalp.
Wet combing — this is the systematic combing of wet hair with a louse detection comb to
remove head lice
silicone or fatty acid ester-based products that kill the lice by
physically coating their surfaces and suffocating them, so resistance is unlikely to develop
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• Common preparations are dimeticone 4% gel/lotion and compounds containing isopropyl myristate
• •