title: Tick attachment sites.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Farabi Hastanesi, TRabzon, Turkey. gunduzkadir@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Suha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turkmen
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turedi
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nuhoglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Topbas
mesh_terms: 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*