Treatment of pediculosis has 2 aspects: medication and environmental control measures.

Consider
providing medical treatment to all persons who have contact with infested patients, especially sexual
partners.
Increasing emphasis is being placed on understanding the life cycle of lice in order to treat effectively.
Not all treatment preparations are ovicidal. Therefore, repeat treatment may need to be performed to
kill the newly hatched eggs not affected by the initial treatment. It is extremely important to use
medications as directed to ensure total eradication of the lice through their life cycle.
In the treatment of body lice, medications are less essential than environmental measures. Many
infectious disease authorities recommend only environmental measures to treat body lice. Patients
with body lice should have infested clothing removed and destroyed.
Related clinical guideline summaries include the following:
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV - United Kingdom national guideline on the
management of phthirus pubis infestation
[23]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Ectoparasitic infections. Sexually transmitted
diseases treatment guidelines 2006
[24]

University of Texas, School of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Program -Guidelines for the
diagnosis and treatment of pediculosis capitis (head lice) in children and adults 2008
[25]

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