Tick attachment sites.
OBJECTIVE
The duration of tick attachment is related to the likelihood of disease transmission. To be able to locate and remove an attached tick is important.


METHODS
Sixty-seven patients presenting with tick bites to the Karadeniz Technical University emergency department and 3 different first-stage health institutions between April and July 2006 were investigated to determine the distribution of the bites.


RESULTS
Tick attachment site distribution was determined as follows: 9% head-neck, 5% arm, 24% stomach-groin, 7% back, 18% chest-shoulder, 25% leg-foot, and 12% hip.


CONCLUSIONS
According to the results of our study, 20% of ticks attach to regions of the body that patients cannot themselves see. After travel in endemic areas, a complete inspection of the entire body surface is required to achive early tick removal.
Gunduz
Abdulkadir
A
Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Farabi Hastanesi, TRabzon, Turkey. gunduzkadir@hotmail.com
Turkmen
Suha
S
Turedi
Suleyman
S
Nuhoglu
Irfan
I
Topbas
Murat
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013987:Ticks / Q000502:physiology*