In the latest continuing education article on the subject of head lice, the authors state (1) that the lay media repeatedly recommend to keep all non-washable textiles, underwear, bed linen, and soft toys in sealed plastic bags for three days. However, they also state that this recommendation is not scientifically justifiable.
Nonetheless, this procedure is exactly what the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) advises doctors on the subject of head lice infestations (2).
Based on the very good reputation of the RKI and the widespread knowledge of this information among patients, it is very difficult for me as a doctor to convey to my patients the viewpoint of the authors, which I consider to be the right one. Why does the RKI still give the exact opposite recommendations?
Footnotes
Conflict of interest statement
The author declares that no conflict of interest exists
References
- 1.Meister L, Ochsendorf F. Headlice—epidemiology, biology, diagnosis and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113:763–772. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2016.0763. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Robert Koch-Institut. Kopflausbefall - RKI-Ratgeber für Ärzte. www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Merkblaetter/Ratgeber_Kopflausbefall.html (last accessed on 6 March. 2017) [Google Scholar]