Where the Emergency Department Fits In

Delusional infestation (DI) is infrequently encountered in emergency departments, and there has been little published on the topic directly related to emergency medicine. However, emergency medicine providers need to know how to recognize, manage, and safely patient disposition with DI. Emergency providers must exclude other more emergent conditions when suspecting a patient has DI. Depending on the extent of previous evaluations, the patient with suspected DI may need little or no diagnostic evaluation in the ED. Initiating treatment for DI in the ED could be considered but likely will be deferred to an outpatient specialist.