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Ascaris Treatment — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

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HardParasitologyAscaris TreatmentSCE Infectious Diseases

Ascaris lumbricoides eggs are found in stool from an asymptomatic adult who is not pregnant and has no intestinal obstruction. Which treatment is appropriate?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: C — Give a standard oral anthelmintic course with albendazole or mebendazole after review

The best answer is “Give a standard oral anthelmintic course with albendazole or mebendazole after review”. Ascaris is a soil-transmitted nematode treated with benzimidazoles; surgery is reserved for mechanical complications. “Arrange surgical extraction despite no obstruction” is less appropriate because it conflicts with the clinical discriminator or cited guidance. “Use praziquantel because Ascaris is a trematode” is less appropriate because it conflicts with the clinical discriminator or cited guidance. “Use ivermectin as the only effective treatment” is less appropriate because it conflicts with the clinical discriminator or cited guidance. “Withhold treatment because asymptomatic carriage is harmless” is less appropriate because it conflicts with the clinical discriminator or cited guidance.

Reference: WHO soil-transmitted helminth infections fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections