Removing a tic from a patient

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Jul 20, 2012

At the risk of sounding really dumb, I have to ask...did they mean a "tic", as in Tourette's syndrome, or a "tick", as in the small arachnid creature?

linzjane88 · Jul 20, 2012

The former. In one shift the OP got her patient to stop spontaneously shouting obscenities. He he he.

SwansonRN · Jul 20, 2012

I've never had this happen at work, but I would remove it and save it to send to be tested for diseases. I don't know if this is the right answer, but that is what I'd do.

kellycinalli · Jul 20, 2012

Tick as in not tic. I phone corrections. Lol. I removed it as well and applied Tao. He is hospice so no need to send it to the lab. And the doctor used to put u on doxcycline but they don't recommend it anymore.

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BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 20, 2012

I can handle just about anything, but for some reason I think having to do this would really gross me out...

kellycinalli · Jul 20, 2012

I have to remove them all the time on my animals. Like cake !

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BluegrassRN · Jul 20, 2012

Remove it, document the site, note the condition of the site and whether you pulled an intact tick or it come out in pieces, and call the doc. The longer it stays on, the more likely a tick borne illness may be transmitted, and if you pull it pieces, localized infection is more likely. In our area, doxy is still frequently prescribed, particularly in certain populations or with multiple tick bites. I've never heard of sending the tick to the lab. That seems unrealistic and Hollywood-esque.

allnurses Guide · Jul 20, 2012

As a camp nurse, I was asked to preserve the tick; if the kid later became ill we could have it tested for Rocky Mtn. Spotted Fever or any of the other things ticks pass on. So, no, sending it to the lab is not that far fetched; they have the facilities to preserve specimens.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Jul 20, 2012

Tics must be removed by someone who knows how. It's not hard but you must not squeeze the abdomen of the tic, this will inject the stomach contents back into the patient along with any organisms (like Lyme disease) that the tic carries. The longer the tic is on the patient the more likely they are to get infected. Also the MD must be notified as the tic is a highly contagious vector. It would be up to the MD to test the tic and/or the patient. I'd be a little ticked off if this wasn't addressed.

BluegrassRN · Jul 20, 2012

Interesting. I've pulled ticks off dozens of pts over the years, and not once has anyone suggested saving the tick or sending it to the lab for testing. Grosses me out every time. I hate morel hunting season. All those hunters come in later for their various illnesses/injuries/incidental issues, and if they've been morel hunting, we search for ticks. Last year I had an older fellow, in with ARF, morel hunting the day before, I pulled 18 ticks off him, including 7 from his testicles and gluteal fold. Jesus, people, use some deet so I don't have to dig through your bits and pieces.

itsmejuli · Jul 20, 2012

Interesting. I've pulled ticks off dozens of pts over the years, and not once has anyone suggested saving the tick or sending it to the lab for testing. Grosses me out every time. I hate morel hunting season. All those hunters come in later for their various illnesses/injuries/incidental issues, and if they've been morel hunting, we search for ticks. Last year I had an older fellow, in with ARF, morel hunting the day before, I pulled 18 ticks off him, including 7 from his testicles and gluteal fold. Jesus, people, use some deet so I don't have to dig through your bits and pieces.

Ewww.

What's a "morel"?