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Scabies - Management
What assessments do I need to make?
- Ask about all people with whom skin-to-skin contact has been made for a prolonged period within the previous 2 months, as all of these people are at risk of scabies and should be informed.
- In people with scabies, assess:
- The severity of the infestation.
- The severity of the symptoms (e.g. itch).
- Whether there are any secondary lesions:
- Eczema.
- Secondary infection.
- The risk of sexually transmitted infection, if appropriate (sexual partners within the previous 2 months).
- The likely source of infestation.
- If crusted scabies, consider the possibility of underlying immunodeficiency and investigate if appropriate.
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on pragmatic advice and information from the Health Protection Agency [HPA, 2004].
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