A healthcare worker found bedbugs on the clothes of a patient. What action should be taken in response?

• A. All of the patient's personal belongings should be placed in securely tied plastic bags or other sealed containers.
• B. Isolate the patient and discontinue care.
• C. Disinfect the room and continue normal care.
• D. Ignore the issue if the patient refuses treatment.

Answer: (A)

When bedbugs are found on a patient’s clothes, the urgent step is to contain the pests and prevent them from spreading to other patients or areas. Placing all of the patient’s personal belongings in securely tied plastic bags or sealed containers achieves this containment. It stops bedbugs from hitchhiking to other rooms and laundering or pest-control actions can then be applied to those items without risking further spread.

Care for the patient should continue, and environmental services should be alerted to conduct pest management and proper laundering or treatment of the items. Isolating the patient or discontinuing care isn’t necessary, since bedbugs aren’t a disease transmitter and require containment and pest management rather than halting care. Disinfecting the room is important as part of ongoing cleaning, but without sealing and treating the belongings, the infestation can persist. Ignoring the issue or proceeding if the patient refuses treatment would leave the infestation unresolved.