A comparative study of oral ivermectin and topical permethrin cream in the treatment of scabies. Successful treatment of scabies with oral ivermectin in Nigeria. Comparison of safety, efficacy, and cost effectiveness of benzyl benzoate, permethrin, and ivermectin in patients of scabies. Comparison of the efficacy of topical 1% lindane vs 5% permethrin in scabies: a randomized, double-blind study. Ivermectin versus benzyl benzoate applied once or twice to treat human scabies in Dakar, Senegal: a randomized controlled trial. Ivermectin is better than benzyl benzoate for childhood scabies in developing countries. Permethrin 5% dermal cream: a new treatment for scabies. Oral ivermectin in scabies patients: a comparison with 1% topical lindane lotion. Equivalent therapeutic efficacy and safety of ivermectin and lindane in the treatment of human scabies.
The conventional antiscabietics have poor compliance. Ivermectin, an oral antiparasitic drug, has been shown to be an effective scabicide and could be a useful substitute.
                This study compares the efficacy of oral ivermectin with topical permethrin cream in the treatment of scabies.
                Eighty-five consecutive patients were randomized into 2 groups. Forty patients and their family contacts received 200 microg/kg body weight of ivermectin, and another 45 patients and their family contacts received a single overnight topical application of 5% permethrin cream. Patients were followed up at intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks.
                A single dose of ivermectin provided a cure rate of 70%, which increased to 95% with 2 doses at a 2-week interval. A single application of permethrin was effective in 97.8% of patients. One (2.2%) patient responded to 2 applications at a 2-week interval. Permethrin-treated patients recovered earlier.
                A single application of permethrin is superior to a single dose of ivermectin. Two doses of ivermectin is as effective as a single application of permethrin. The temporal dissociation in clinical response suggests that ivermectin may not be effective against all the stages in the life cycle of the parasite. Currently, several topical scabicides are available but there is yet no oral or parenteral drug which has been established for the treatment of scabies in Nigeria. Ivermectin which is a modified avermectin, known to be an ectoparasiticidal agent in animals, has been used in adults for systemic parasitosis. In Nigeria, 25% benzyl benzoate is being extensively used for the treatment of scabies in adults. It is effective and readily available. The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ivermectin in the treatment of patients with scabies at the skin clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Fifty-eight patients with scabies were recruited for the study; 13 (22.4%) were children aged between 5-14 years. Oral ivermectin was given in a single dose of 200 [microg/kg body weight to 29 patients. The remaining 29 patients had to apply 25% benzyl benzoate emulsion. All patients received a full physical and dermatological examination prior to onset of treatment and weekly for 4 weeks. Skin scrapings were taken to confirm the diagnosis of scabies. There was a 93% resolution of pruritus with ivermectin and 48% with benzyl benzoate. No side effects were observed with ivermectin. Our results show that oral ivermectin is a promising, effective and safe alternative in both children and adults of Nigeria when compared to 25% benzyl benzoate topical application. To compare three treatment modalities in scabies for safety, efficacy, and economy in a local population of Nagpur.
                This was a prospective, randomized, comparative clinical trial conducted in 103 participants, randomly allocated to three groups. First group received benzyl benzoate (BB) 25% lotion, second group received permethrin 5% cream, whereas third group received tablet ivermectin 200 mug/kg as a single dose. The participants were recalled after one week for follow-up evaluation. If there were no signs of cure, the same intervention was repeated. The participants were followed up for two weeks for cure rate, adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring, and postintervention observation. The follow-up was stopped after two weeks.
                Fischer's exact test using Graph pad Instat v 3.05.
                Ivermectin showed 100% cure rate after two weeks of treatment. Permethrin decreased pruritus by 76% at the end of one week and had significantly better cure rate than ivermectin. At the end of two weeks treatment, this finding was reversed, that is, cure rate in ivermectin group was 100%. For cost-effectiveness analysis, treatment regimens were formulated hypothetically for comparison from Markov population tree for decision analysis. It was found that BB and ivermectin each consecutively for two weeks were most cost effective regimens giving complete cure in four weeks, while ivermectin was the fastest regimen giving the same results in two weeks.
                Benzyl benzoate as first line intervention and ivermectin in the remaining gave best cost-effective results in the study patients of scabies. Permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, is not yet available in Iran and may be a useful substitute for the control of scabies in Iran.
                To compare the efficacy of topical lindane with topical permethrin in the treatment of scabies in a population in Iran.
                In a double-blind, randomized study, all consecutive patients with scabies were randomized into two groups. One group and their family contacts received 1% lindane cream, and the other group and their family contacts were treated with topical 5% permethrin cream. Subsequently, patients were followed up at 2- and 4-week post-treatment.
                Of the 99 patients enrolled in the study, 47 patients received 1% lindane cream, and 52 patients were treated topically with 5% permethrin cream. Permethrin provided an improvement rate of 84.6% after two weeks, whereas lindane was effective only in 48.9% of patients.
                Permethrin (5%) cream was found to be significantly more effective in the treatment of scabies in comparison with lindane in this study, and it seems that it could be an alternative treatment. To compare the effectiveness of oral ivermectin (IV) and two different modalities of topical benzyl benzoate (BB) for treating scabies in a community setting.
                The trial included patients aged 5-65 years with scabies who attended the dermatology department at the Institut d'Hygiène Sociale in Dakar, Senegal. The randomized, open trial considered three treatments: a single application of 12.5% BB over 24 hours (BB1 group), two applications of BB, each over 24 hours (BB2 group), and oral IV, 150-200 microg/kg (IV group). The primary endpoint was the disappearance of skin lesions and itching at day 14. If necessary, treatment was repeated and patients were evaluated until cured. Results were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. A pre-planned intermediate analysis was carried out after the BB1, BB2 and IV groups had recruited 68, 48 and 65 patients, respectively.
                At day 14, 33 patients (68.8%) in the BB2 group were cured versus 37 (54.4%) in the BB1 group and 16 (24.6%) in the IV group (P < 10-6). Bacterial superinfection occurred more often in the IV group than in the BB1 and BB2 groups combined (28% versus 7.8%, respectively; P = 0.006). At day 28, 46 patients (95.8%) in the BB2 group were cured versus 52 (76.5%) in the BB1 group and 28 (43.1%) in the IV group (P < 10-5). These clear findings prompted early study cessation.
                Topical BB was clearly more effective than oral IV for treating scabies in a Senegalese community. To compare single dose oral ivermectin with topical benzyl benzoate for the treatment of paediatric scabies.
                An observer-blinded randomized controlled trial was undertaken at Vila Central Hospital, Vanuatu. One hundred and ten children aged from 6 months to 14 years were randomized to receive either ivermectin 200 micro g/kg orally or 10% benzyl benzoate topically. Follow up was at 3 weeks post-treatment. Primary outcome measures were the number of scabies lesions, the itch visual analogue score and nocturnal itch. Secondary outcome measures were the skin's reaction to treatment, the passage of worms in stool and other side effects.
                Eighty patients completed the study protocol. There was no significant difference between the two treatments; both produced a significant decrease in the number of scabies lesions seen at follow up. Ivermectin cured 24 out of 43 patients (56%), and benzyl benzoate 19 out of 37 patients (51%) at 3 weeks post-treatment. No serious side effects were noted with either treatment, but benzyl benzoate was more likely to produce local skin reactions (P = 0.004, OR 6.4, 95% CI 1.6-25.0)
                Ivermectin is cheap and effective in the treatment of paediatric scabies. Ivermectin has minimal observed toxicity and has the additional beneficial effects of antiparasitic action in onchocerciasis, filariasis and strongyloidiasis. Ivermectin is better than benzyl benzoate for the treatment of paediatric scabies in developing countries. Permethrin 5% dermal cream (Burroughs Wellcome Co.) was compared in an investigator-blinded, randomized study against lindane 1% lotion (Kwell) for the treatment of microscopically confirmed scabies. Eleven of twenty-three patients treated with permethrin cream were cured in 2 weeks (48%). Only two patients had scabies 1 month following a single treatment with this product, giving a cure rate of 91%. One of these two patients was considered to have a reinfestation. Only three of twenty-three (13%) patients treated with 1% lindane lotion (Kwell) were free of scabies 2 weeks after a single treatment and fifteen of twenty-three (65%) were cured at 1 month. The unusually high percentage of treatment failures (35%) following lindane therapy may have been related to extensive use of this agent for head lice and scabies in this village during the preceding 5 years. The higher cure rate at 1 month seen with permethrin cream was significant (p less than 0.025). Permethrin 5% dermal cream offers a new, cosmetically elegant alternative to lindane therapy and was effective in a community in which lindane demonstrated an unacceptable level of treatment failures. Scabies. which constitutes a significant proportion of the outpatient attendance in tropical dermatology clinics, has so far been treated with lindane, crotamiton, sulphur, permethrin, etc. Ivermectin, an orally administered drug, was tried in scabies patients and compared with 1% topical lindane lotion to evaluate its effects and toxicity profile. Two hundred scabies patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group received oral invermectin in a single dose of 200 micrograms/kg body weight. The other received 1% lindane lotion for topical application overnight. Patients were assessed after 48 hours, two weeks and four weeks. After a period of four weeks, 82.6% of the patients in the ivermectin group showed marked improvement; only 44.44% of the patients in the lindance group showed a similar response. A side effects in the form of severe headache were noted in one patient in group A. Oral ivermectin is an easy drug to administer. It is given as a single oral dose, unlike lindane, which has to be applied topically. The compliance is accordingly increased. Moreover, ivermectin induces an early and effective improvement in signs and symptoms. Thus, it may be a better option for scabies than the traditional topical linlane lotion. To compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ivermectin and lindane for the treatment of human scabies.
                Randomized, prospective, controlled, double-blind, "double-dummy," and parallel clinical study.
                A single department of dermatology at a hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
                Patients were outpatients, hospitalized patients, and those referred to our hospital from nursing homes and asylums. Fifty-three patients had clinical signs and symptoms compatible with scabies.
                Patients received either a single oral dose of ivermectin (150-200 microg/kg of body weight) or a topical application of 1% lindane solution. Treatment was repeated after 15 days if clinical cure had not occurred.
                Clinical healing and adverse effects.
                Of 53 patients, 43 (81%) completed the study, 19 in the group treated with ivermectin and 24 in the group treated with lindane. At day 15, 14 patients (74%; 95% confidence interval, 48.8%-90.8%) in the group receiving ivermectin showed healing of their scabies and 13 patients (54%; 95% confidence interval, 32.8%-74.4%) in the group treated with lindane were healed. At 29 days, both treatments resulted in statistically equivalent therapeutic efficacy: 18 patients (95%; 95% confidence interval, 74.0%-99.9%) were healed with ivermectin and 23 patients (96%; 95% confidence interval, 78.9%, 99.9%) were healed with lindane (P<.02). Adverse effects from the treatments were few, mild, and transient. Results from laboratory tests showed no major abnormalities and no difference between treatments.
                Ivermectin is as effective as lindane for the treatment of scabies. Ivermectin is simpler to use and, therefore, is a promising tool to improve compliance and to control infestations.
Topical permethrin appears to be the most effective treatment for scabies. Ivermectin appears to be an effective oral treatment. More research is needed on the effectiveness of malathion, particularly when compared to permethrin, and on the management of scabies in an institutional setting and at a community level.