Diphyllobothriasis Follow-up
- Author: Derek Ryan Linklater, MD; Chief Editor: Burke A Cunha, MD more...
Further Inpatient Care
- Patients with diphyllobothriasis do not generally require inpatient care unless they have significant comorbid conditions or complications of severe anemia.
Further Outpatient Care
- Re-examine patients' stool on the seventh day following therapy to test for cure. Any Diphyllobothrium segments and/or ova present in the stool on the seventh day posttherapy constitute a treatment failure. If this occurs, a second identical course of therapy may be administered.
Deterrence/Prevention
- Encourage proper food preparation and hygiene, particularly while traveling in endemic areas.
Complications
- Rare cases of intestinal obstruction resulting from the sheer bulk of the Diphyllobothrium worms have been reported.
Prognosis
- Diphyllobothriasis carries and excellent prognosis, although some treatment failures have been reported.
Patient Education
- Because reinfection is possible, advise patients to modify their dietary habits to minimize the potential for re-exposure.
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