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Comparison of two combs in the detection of head lice in school children
Ozgür Kurt1, Tuba Tabak, Hakan Kavur
1Celal Bayar University, School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Manisa, Turkey. oz1605@hotmail.com
Insights
Metal lice combs are more effective than visual inspection for detecting head lice in children. However, the study found no significant difference in effectiveness between combs with different tooth spacing.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Parasitology
Background:
- Head lice infestation is a common issue in school-aged children.
- Accurate detection methods are crucial for effective management and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic efficacy of two metal lice combs with different tooth spacing.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of combing versus visual inspection for detecting head lice and nits.
Main Methods:
- Two metal lice combs (0.18 mm and 0.15 mm tooth spacing) were used to screen 241 school children (aged 7-15) in two villages.
- Infestation detection by combing was compared against visual inspection for live lice and louse eggs (nits).
Main Results:
- Combing detected live head lice in 5.3% and 3.4% of children, whereas visual inspection detected none.
- Combing identified louse eggs in fewer children than visual screening, but detected 3-5 additional cases missed by visual inspection.
- No statistically significant difference was found between the two combs' efficacy or usage.
Conclusions:
- Metal combing is superior to visual inspection for detecting active head lice infestations.
- The spacing between comb teeth (0.18 mm vs. 0.15 mm) did not significantly impact detection rates or ease of use.
Abstract:
The diagnostic efficacies of two metal pin lice combs having different spacing between their teeth were compared in two cohorts of school children, aged between 7 and 15 years, from different villages of Manisa, Turkey. Head lice infestation was evaluated with comb A (0.18 mm of distance between the teeth) in 95 children in Cavusoglu village, and with comb B (0.15 mm of distance between the teeth) in 146 children in Yesilköy village, compared to visual inspection. Five of 95 (5.3%) children in Cavusoglu village and 5 of 146 (3.4%) children in Yesilköy village were found to harbor live head lice with combing, while none was detected during the visual inspection. The difference between the infestation rates of two cohorts was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). With visual screening, 15 and 16 children with louse eggs were identified in Cavusoglu and Yesilköy villages, respectively. With combing in these villages, 5 and 8 children, respectively, with louse eggs were identified and 3 and 5 children, respectively, were detected only with combing, not with visual screening. In conclusion, combing is more effective than visual inspection in head lice detection, but there were no significant difference between the two combs either in lice detection or in usage.
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