Bed Bugs- parents don't think it's a big deal

[MHDNURSE]

Anyone deal with this issue before? I know there have been posts about recurring lice infestations, but this is a whole new level of non compliance.

Since September we have had a student that we found live, adult bed bugs on her body and in her shoes. We called parents who denied there was an issue. I sent home zip lock bags with ones we had removed from her so they could see. They finally admitted there was an issue but claimed to be "taking care of it". The problem has continued. This morning her father pulled one off her sweater and killed it (teacher witnessed this) and when she opened her homework folder, there was a small one crawling inside her papers. Parents are still maintaining that they are "dealing with it". I have sent home information numerous time, called them to tell them next steps but it continues. Teachers are understandably stressed since she is bringing them into the classroom. Classrooms are carpeted. Thoughts????

Edited to add that her belongings are all going into a plastic bin when she arrives to keep away from the students' belongings, but if they are on her body, there is no way to prevent transmission if one were to crawl onto the floor, etc. I have sent home numerous times information on landlord tenant laws, extermination, etc.

[OldDude]

Interestingly enough...bed bugs are not addressed in our student handbook or school policy and are not referenced as a condition by which to exclude children from school by the Health Department. Compliance would be difficult to "force," under those circumstances.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

CPS for neglect?

[SaltineQueen]

I would (and have) asked for a complete change of clothes to be sent in to school. The student changes in the AM when they drop off their belongings, I put what they had on in the dryer for the next day, and repeat. I feel like, at some point, it becomes a CPS issue - just like I might do with persistent lice. Not necessarily in a punitive nature, but they could help them with resources to eradicate the little buggers. Could your social worker get involved?

29 minutes ago, SaltineQueen said:

I would (and have) asked for a complete change of clothes to be sent in to school. The student changes in the AM when they drop off their belongings, I put what they had on in the dryer for the next day, and repeat. I feel like, at some point, it becomes a CPS issue - just like I might do with persistent lice. Not necessarily in a punitive nature, but they could help them with resources to eradicate the little buggers. Could your social worker get involved?

We don;t have a social worker unfortunately. We have a school counselor but she has a crazy caseload right now so this has sort of fallen on me

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

19 minutes ago, MHDNURSE said:

We don;t have a social worker unfortunately. We have a school counselor but she has a crazy caseload right now so this has sort of fallen on me

CPS then. Sorry. It's clearly medical neglect (in my opinion, which , with $2, buys me a Dr. Pepper anywhere I go).

[UrbanHealthRN, BSN, RN]

I'm going to take a slightly different stance on this issue. I don't know that I would call CPS for bed bugs, only because bed bug infestations can frequently be out a family's control (ex. family lives in an apartment complex and the bed bugs keep coming in from another apartment, bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate and cover a much bigger space than just a person's scalp, slumlord won't deal with the issue, etc. etc.). Then again, CPS in my state is heavily punitive and I know has zero resources for helping a family with housing issues like this.

What would freak me out, though, is the bed bugs creating an infestation inside the school. That happened to one of my local schools not too long ago, and it was a pain in the patooty trying to eradicate them.

I would try to connect the family with all non-CPS social service options (we have community agencies in my city that can help with this) before calling CPS.

[SaltineQueen]

Does anyone else see this ironic ad within this thread?

[UrbanHealthRN, BSN, RN]

1 minute ago, SaltineQueen said:

Does anyone else see this ironic ad within this thread?

They're on to us! Can't wait to see bed bug ads for the next however many days...

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

MUCH more of a transmission risk than lice and more of a health concern as well. In my of my old schools this scenario would warrrant Def-Con One.

[cjl_RN, BSN]

A lot of nurses are saying to get CPS involved. CPS will do nothing for bed bug infestation. Considered basically a nuisance. They are not known to carry diseases so they don’t pose a health threat. I hate the fact we are involved with bed bugs there is nothing we can medically about them. I feel this should be more of an admistarion issue. Lice is different there is a medication treatment. Only way I could see if it was neglect if the student was covered with infected bite marks and parents were refusing to get proper medical treatment. Like someone said above bed bugs are NOT easy to get rid of. They have a tough shell, if small and clear be difficult to see, and the cost to get rid of them is high and they may not be the issue of the bed bug reason why it occurs. I feel you on this issue and hate this for the student. I found close to 20 in a students notebook one time. But our policy is put the belongings they don’t need and double bag them put them in the locker, the classroom in which they were found is sprayed, and phone call to parent to let them know what was found and what steps to be taken but they are never excluded from school.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I agree that CPS will do nothing in this scenario. In California at least they won't even address the head lice issue as you can't for a parent to treat for head lice. CPS is Los Angeles county follows CDC guidelines that state head lice are normal human flora that don't carry disease and are more of a nuisance than a medical problem.

Bed bug infestations are notoriously hard to get rid of. Replacing all carpets, furniture and paint is often required and many families can't afford to do that. Plus you really don't know what the family is doing to eradicate the pests. A professional exterminator would be in order and again that is extremely expensive and can still take 6 months or more to eradicate the problem. Instead of turning this family into CPS it would be better to help identify resources that the family can afford and help them.

Hppy