Treating the patient before elective surgery may be the preferred practice.
Literature shows that nosocomial transmission of head lice is rare but possible.
Head lice are not vectors of specific serious disease, but if they are not treated, complications may arise, including secondary bacterial infections such as impetigo, pyoderma, and lymphadenopathy. 1 Head lice infestations have been part of human history since the beginning of recorded time. There was, however, a resurgence of head lice in the 1960s, and the incidence continues to rise. No area in the United States is immune to head lice. An estimated six to 12 million people are affected each year.