How to prevent fleas coming to you?

[Titanium888]

I usually found my lower torso bitten by fleas after duty. I am working in a tertiary hospital and some patients with hygienic problem and in low socio-economic status have it with them. We already have flea controller but it has no good getting rid of the fleas. What's worst is I found out that I carry these fleas with me from hospital to home. I already had my house treated from fleas. The thing is, how can I prevent the fleas coming to me and sticking to my clothes?

[lpnflorida, LPN]

Are you sure they are fleas and not lice?

I am not sure what can be done aside from having patient immediately remove their clothes, wash their clothes in hot water. I would also suggest not wearing your work clothes home. Change at work place work clothes in a plastic bag, deposit in your washing machine as soon as you are home.

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

It certainly smells bad, but my grandfather used to take sulfur powder and pat us down with it before we went and picked blackberries. It kept all the bugs away.

[redranger]

Buy Sulphur Pills.

They will keep them from being attracted to you.

[Fuzzy]

Most times, fleas don't prefer human blood but enjoy dog and cat blood much better. Fleas don't like horse blood at all. As a rule fleas spend about 90% in the environment and 10% on the host. Fleas can carry some nasty things like bubonic plague, tapeworms for two. Sounds like your housekeeping staff needs to cut up a flea collar and put in in the vaccuum bag of their vaccuum cleaners. This will help control them in the environment. The collars in the bag kill the larve, and adult fleas before they crawl out the hose and reinfect the area. Some collars will also kill the eggs. I know that human medicine is different but when we have a flea ridden patient we treat the fleas right away if possible. This keeps the fleas out of the veterinary hospital plus it makes the patient more comfortable. For you, changing clothes before you go home made help keep them out of your home environment, however fleas like hair. So washing your hair will help too. Some people swear that taking/feeding brewers yeast or sulfer will keep them off but studies have shown that it doesn't work as effectively as hygiene.

Fuzzy, who also has the flea bag days

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1575

[pink85]

That is horrible! I can't imagine someone so infested with fleas that they carry them on their clothes and pass them to you! Are you sure they are fleas??

[Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Perhaps scabies and not fleas??

[crb613, BSN, RN]

What about using a repellent like OFF.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Rub some Avon Skin-So-Soft oil on your skin prior to arriving at work. Although it has a floral scent, it repels pests. It was actually used by soldiers during the Persian Gulf War to keep the bugs away from human skin.

[nightmare, RN]

Rub some Avon Skin-So-Soft oil on your skin prior to arriving at work. Although it has a floral scent, it repels pests. It was actually used by soldiers during the Persian Gulf War to keep the bugs away from human skin.

That's true.It will also repel west of Scotland midges so should cope with small fleas.Our armed forces use this as well.

[moonchild20002000]

I agree with the skin so soft and taking a change of clothes to work.

Your hospitals infection control and housekeeping depts. should also work on a solution to the problem.

[prmenrs, RN]

You definitely need to report the situation to housekeeping. Most hospitals have a "vector control" person who is tasked w/taking care of insects and rodents, etc., you should be able to access he/she via housekeeping.

Meanwhile, there are good suggestions here, but the hospital must solve the problem. If a pt or visitor encounters fleas or whatever, they would have every right to report the hospital to public health officials. That would result in a huge fine, being unaccredited, or even being closed until the problem IS solved.