Colorado Tick-Borne Diseases Treatment & Management

  • Author: Massoud G Kazzi, MD; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Apr 28, 2011
 

Emergency Department Care

ED care of patients with Colorado tick fever is the same as that for any patient with a febrile illness. The essential decision is whether a serious treatable infection exists. Therefore, history taking and physical examination must be directed toward this issue. Exclusion of treatable infections listed in the differential diagnosis section, as well as any other serious bacterial infection, is the goal of ED care. Administration of fluids and antipyretics as needed is indicated.

If a tick is still found attached to the patient, remove the tick. The removal method that is generally recommended is to grasp the tick with forceps or fine-point tweezers near the point of attachment and pull straight outward with steady, even, gentle traction. Twisting and squeezing should be avoided because this may facilitate the movement of pathogens into the host and may be more likely to leave tick mouthparts embedded in the skin.[8]

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Consultations

Consultation with an infectious disease specialist may be appropriate in some cases.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Massoud G Kazzi, MD  Resident Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital, State University of New York Downstate

Massoud G Kazzi, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association and Emergency Medicine Residents Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Ninfa Mehta, MD  Fellowship Director in Ultrasound Division, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Kings County Hospital

Ninfa Mehta, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Student Association/Foundation, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Dan Danzl, MD  Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, University of Louisville Hospital

Dan Danzl, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Kentucky Medical Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Public Health Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD 

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

References

  1. Spruance SL, Bailey A. Colorado Tick Fever. A review of 115 laboratory confirmed cases. Arch Intern Med. Feb 1973;131(2):288-93. [Medline].

  2. Klasco R. Colorado tick fever. Med Clin North Am. Mar 2002;86(2):435-40, ix. [Medline].

  3. Emmons RW. Ecology of Colorado tick fever. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1988;42:49-64. [Medline].

  4. Leiby DA, Gill JE. Transfusion-transmitted tick-borne infections: a cornucopia of threats. Transfus Med Rev. Oct 2004;18(4):293-306. [Medline].

  5. Romero JR, Simonsen KA. Powassan encephalitis and colorado tick fever. Infect Dis Clin North Am. Sep 2008;22(3):545-59, x. [Medline].

  6. Goodpasture HC, Poland JD, Francy DB, et al. Colorado tick fever: clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory aspects of 228 cases in Colorado in 1973-1974. Ann Intern Med. Mar 1978;88(3):303-10. [Medline].

  7. Crowder CD, Rounds MA, Phillipson CA, et al. Extraction of total nucleic acids from ticks for the detection of bacterial and viral pathogens. J Med Entomol. Jan 2010;47(1):89-94. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  8. Wilson ME. Prevention of tick-borne diseases. Med Clin North Am. Mar 2002;86(2):219-38. [Medline].

 
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Two ticks next to a common match. On the right is an Ixodes scapularis, the vector for Lyme disease. On the left is a Dermacentor tick (the larger one and the vector for Colorado tick fever).
 
 
 
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