Overview
What are the clinical implications of insect bites?
What is the difference between insect bites and stings?
What are the clinical manifestations of bites from bed bugs and how are they treated?
What is the most serious initial reaction to insect exposures?
Which diseases are transmitted by insect bites?
What are the health risks of cockroach and earwig exposures?
What is the pathophysiology of insect bites?
What is the incidence of insect bites in the US?
What is the global prevalence of insect bites?
What are racial predilections of insect bites?
What are sex-related predilections of insect bites?
Which age group has the highest incidence of insect bites?
What is the prognosis of insect bites?
What should be included in the patient information about insect bites?
Presentation
Which clinical history findings are characteristic of insect bites?
What are the signs and symptoms of insect bites?
Which physical findings are characteristic of insect bites?
DDX
What are the differential diagnoses for Insect Bites?
Workup
What is the role of lab testing in the diagnosis of insect bites?
Treatment
What is included in prehospital care for insect bites?
What is included in emergency department (ED) care for insect bites?
When is hospitalization indicated for the treatment for insect bites?
Which specialist consultations are beneficial for patients with insect bites?
What are complications of insect bites?
What are complications of insect bites during pregnancy?
What is the role of venom immunotherapy in the treatment of insect bites?
What is included in the long-term monitoring of patients treated for insect bites?
Medications
What is the goal of therapy for insect bites?
Which medications in the drug class Immunoglobulins are used in the treatment of Insect Bites?
Which medications in the drug class Toxoids are used in the treatment of Insect Bites?
Which medications in the drug class Antihistamines are used in the treatment of Insect Bites?
Which medications in the drug class Bronchodilators are used in the treatment of Insect Bites?
Which medications in the drug class Cardiovascular agents are used in the treatment of Insect Bites?
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Yellow jacket wasp. Image courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Anopheles albimanus mosquito feeding on human host. Image courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Insect Bites. Louse, Pediculus humanus, dorsal view after feeding on blood. Most lice are scavengers, feeding on skin and other debris found on the host's body, but some species feed on sebaceous secretions and blood. Image courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Insect Bites. World Allergy Organization anaphylaxis pocket card. Reprinted from The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol 127, Issue 3, Simons FER et al, World Allergy Organization anaphylaxis guidelines; Summary, Pgs 587-93, March 2011, with permission from Elsevier. Available at http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(11)00128-X/fulltext.
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Fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Fecal staining from bed bugs in the crevice of a mattress. © 2014 Australian Family Physician. Reproduced with permission from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), published in Doggett SL, Russell R. Bed bugs - What the GP needs to know. Aust Fam Physician. Nov 2009;38(11):880-4.
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Various stages of the bed bug life cycle. © 2014 Australian Family Physician. Reproduced with permission from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), published in Doggett SL, Russell R. Bed bugs - What the GP needs to know. Aust Fam Physician. Nov 2009;38(11):880-4.
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Kissing bug (Triatoma sanguisuga) can be a vector for Chagas disease. Image courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis). Image courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Typical bed bug rash. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.