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Humiliated, isolated, lost and hysterical??
- baker david (7 June 2003)
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Headlice treatments
- June Thompson (8 June 2003)
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baker david, GP Dorset
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I can't see any reason why this commentary was published anonymously. Presumably a non-anonymous ( a double negative you don't see every day) contribution would be preferable. I cannot believe it is that hard to find parent experiences regarding head lice, but perhaps hard to find someone who regarded themselves as "lost and hysterical"? Not many of my patients quote "my paediatrician" (private, perhaps?), & I have inferred from the story also that it was a private school - right or wrong? Patient's stories can be fascinating, but in this case my thoughts were: 1. Anonymity promotes stigmatisation. 2. Would have been better off seeing a GP ( we have a leaflet and refer difficult cases to our excellent Health Visitors) 3. God help her, if she ever gets anything serious. 4. Publishing this story is essentially patronising, and ignores the fact that millions of parents sort out head lice, with or without help from GPs & Health Visitors, without making a meal of it. Competing interests: regular wetcombing means my daughter has only needed pesticides on her scalp twice |
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June Thompson, Health Visitor London
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As a health visitor I have found these articles and responses interesting and agree with David Baker that the anomymous lady is lucky if she only has head lice to worry about. I usually give mums who ask for advice the choice of insecticides or wet combing as, in my experience, both are effective if used properly. Some mothers can't be bothered with wet combing, others are not happy about using insecticides. Also, isn't there supposed to be in the community a reservoir of elderly people such as grandparents who have headlice unknown to them, but who can affect children? Education amongst pharmacists and nursery staff is also important. I happened to be in Boots last year when I stood next to a customer whose child did not have headlice but who asked the assistant for something to prevent her child catching them. Apparently the nursery staff had told every parent to buy and use headlice lotion, as a precaution against their children catching them. I was horrified when the assistant produced a bottle of insecticide treatment and assured the mother it would prevent headlice. A minor scence then ensued before a fascinated small audience when I told the assistant she had no right to be selling headlice treatment as a preventitive. Fortunately the bewildered women in question chose to believe me and walked out empy handed! Competing interests: None declared |
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