Thousands of tick bites are recorded annually in our country. As you know, these insects carry many infectious diseases. In this case, immunoglobulin is a prophylactic, and with a tick bite it is put in all medical institutions of the country.
Tick Overview
There are over 40,000 species of ticks, most of which feed on decayed plants, mushrooms, and small insects. But there are those who prefer blood.
These insects bite mainly in warm weather. They do not like dampness. It is difficult to notice a tick attack, because during the bite he injects an anesthetic. Prefer insects places that are hidden under clothing and those where the skin is thinner. Most often, people find them on their elbows, on the scalp, on their arms and legs, and also in the groin.
What is a tick bite dangerous?
These insects are dangerous in that they are carriers of many different diseases, the most terrible of which are encephalitis and Lyme disease. Of course, not all ticks carry diseases, but this can be determined in each case only in the laboratory.
The most dangerous species are European forest and taiga ticks. They are large enough, feed on blood, people often become their victims.
The first individuals appear in April. They are most active in the period from May to early July, then the population disappears, but not all. Occasionally recorded cases of tick attacks in early autumn.
Ticks can smell a victim from a distance of 10 meters. Usually insects attack from blades of grass or bushes no higher than 50 centimeters. They prefer moist places, not very shady and with thick grass. “Favorite” for them are the edges of forests, grassy paths, ravines.
Ticks do not attack from above. If an insect was found on the head, it means it crawled down from below in search of the most suitable place for suction.
Bite Prevention
The best protection against tick-borne encephalitis infection is the timely vaccination. Its validity period is 3 years. But there is no vaccination against Lyme disease, only precautionary measures can help here.
To avoid contact with a blood-sucking insect, you can use repellents. They are applied to clothing and exposed skin. Before applying, be sure to read the instructions. It is enough to process shoes, trousers and sleeves. For best protection, tuck pants into socks or boots.
With a tick bite
If contact could not be avoided, and the tick bit you, it should be carefully removed. Be sure to ensure that you have pulled out the entire insect, and that its head did not remain in the wound. The tick is placed in a glass jar and delivered live to the laboratory for research in the next day. Tests will tell if he was a carrier of encephalitis or Lyme disease.
Even if the tick itself was a carrier of the disease, this does not mean that the victim has already become infected. However, you should definitely go to the hospital if the bite site swells and turns red. If within a month after the bite there is a significant deterioration in well-being, you should also consult a doctor.
It must be remembered that ticks do not only carry encephalitis or Lyme disease. They can also transmit many other diseases that are less dangerous, but still unpleasant and in need of treatment.
Emergency help
Within 3 days (or better, the first 24 hours) from the moment the tick is removed, you need to examine it in the laboratory, and also contact a medical institution to prevent the development of serious diseases. It is carried out without fail, even if the bitten was previously vaccinated.
And what kind of immunoglobulin is given with a tick bite? There are a lot of them. In medical institutions, doctors give preference to anti-encephalitis, since this disease is the most dangerous.
Immunoglobulin will not help if a person has contracted tick-borne borreliosis or other diseases. The drug is quite expensive, this is its minus. The cost of one ampoule is about 600 rubles. A package of 10 ampoules is already quite expensive. It can also cause an allergic reaction.
A medicine is produced from the blood serum of people who have had tick-borne encephalitis. Use the medicine as a preventive measure, and during the disease itself. Before using it, it is important to learn about the drug as much as possible.
Tick-borne immunoglobulin
The preparation contains an immunologically active fraction of the protein, which is isolated from donor plasma or serum. Donors are people who have had tick-borne encephalitis. In their body there are antibodies to this virus. They are the basis of the medicine. Protein is taken only from healthy people who have additionally been tested for the absence of hepatitis C and HIV.
The protein stabilizer is glycine (aminoacetic acid). There are no antibiotics and preservatives in the composition of the medicine.
Immunoglobulin with a tick bite is mainly used in the form of ampoules with a capacity of 1 milliliter each. This is a colorless liquid, which, however, may have a slight yellowish tint. If sediment is found at the bottom of the ampoule, it is enough to shake it and it will disappear.
Immunoglobulins are class G drugs. Active antibodies contained in the preparation neutralize tick-borne encephalitis virus in the body. Also, the medicine increases the resistance of the human body.
The highest concentration of antibodies in the body is achieved on the second day after administration of the drug. Half-life takes 4-5 weeks.
Indications and contraindications
As a rule, immunoglobulin is prescribed as a prophylactic for a tick bite. The main purpose is encephalitis therapy.
But is immunoglobulin so harmless? With a tick bite, the drug has contraindications. It can not be taken when a person has serious allergic reactions to a certain list of components of the medication. Atopic dermatitis, asthma or systemic diseases associated with immunopathological mechanisms are contraindications to the use of the drug.
When taking medication, adverse reactions are rare. Among them, the following are noted: fever, hyperemia, soreness at the place where the dose of immunoglobulin was injected with a tick bite, allergic reactions, very rarely anaphylactic shock.
There is no data on the effect of the drug on the woman’s body during pregnancy and lactation, so doctors do not recommend taking it in order to avoid negative consequences.
Advantages and disadvantages
This medicine is ineffective after 4 days from the time of the bite. It can also be used as a prophylaxis, but the effect will last no more than a month.
Immunoglobulin helps very well with a tick bite, the maximum protective effect is achieved in a day. However, vaccination is still much better.
It is possible to put medicine only in the conditions of a hospital, the medical worker should carry out the procedure. There are several reasons for this: firstly, the drug should be stored in a dry and dark place at a temperature of 2 to 10 degrees, and secondly, it can cause various allergic reactions, up to anaphylactic shock. In the latter case, the presence of a doctor will save the patient's life.
Ways to use the medicine
The drug is available in ampoules. He is not put in a vein. The introduction of "Immunoglobulin" with a tick bite is necessarily done intramuscularly. Before this, the drug is recommended to be kept at room temperature for 2 hours. The medicine is drawn into the syringe only with a needle with a wide clearance, in order to avoid the appearance of foam.
An open ampoule cannot be stored. Also, if there is a likelihood that the medicine was spoiled (the integrity of the package is broken or labeling is in doubt), it cannot be used.
Is it necessary to put immunoglobulin with a tick bite? If there are no contraindications, then it is better to do it all the same. A disease such as tick-borne encephalitis is very difficult to tolerate. It should be remembered that the medicine will help only if it was administered within the first 3 days after the bite.
Immunoglobulin can be used in advance if it is highly likely that a tick will bite a person in the near future. The medicine has its effect in 24-48 hours, and the general protection will continue for a month. Then, if necessary, you can repeat the injection of immunoglobulin. With a tick bite, the injection is also repeated.
Doses of the drug
As a preventive measure, the drug is administered at the rate of 0.1 milliliter per 1 kilogram of live weight.
If the symptoms of the disease have already manifested, immunoglobulin is also used as one of the drugs. The dose calculation is the same. The course of taking the drug in this case is 3-5 days. In total, during this time, the patient should receive at least 21 milliliters of medication.
If a focal form of tick-borne encephalitis is observed, the course of taking the drug should be slightly extended until the patient's condition stabilizes. In severe cases of the disease, it is allowed to increase the dose of the drug to 0.15 milliliters per 1 kilogram of weight.
Immunoglobulin with a tick bite can be taken along with other drugs. In this case, it is important not to mix them. This means that medications must be administered separately.
If a person has a desire to be vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, and recently he was injected with immunoglobulin, he will have to wait a month.
You can also put immunoglobulin with a tick bite to children. The dosage in this case is also calculated based on the weight of the child. In special cases, only a doctor can prescribe a prescription in which the dose of the medicine for the child will be indicated.
special instructions
The introduction of the entire dose of the drug at the same time can cause a skin reaction. This can be avoided if injections are made in several parts of the body.
After the injection, the doctor must observe the patient for at least another half hour, in order to save a person’s life in the event of anaphylactic shock. So in the doctor’s arsenal should be anti-shock agents.
Car enthusiasts may not be afraid to give an immunoglobulin shot. Its action does not reduce the concentration of attention, so that they can safely control their car.
Finally
Ticks are very dangerous insects, as they are carriers of many viral diseases. The most terrible of them is tick-borne encephalitis. There is a medicine that is recommended to be used after contact with an insect. Does immunoglobulin help with a tick bite? Yes, but only when introduced on time. It has many side effects. However, at the moment it is one of the best preventative measures against tick-borne encephalitis.