Comparative Study Between Topical Permethrin 5% and Oral Ivermectin for the Treatment of Scabies
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2021-11-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Globally, Scabies infects 300m people each year. In children of developing countries, its
prevalence is expected to be about 5 to 10%.In Pakistan, Scabies accounts for 38% of
dermatological diseases. Males were more prone to infestation than females, and early
school-aged children were the most vulnerable. It was more widespread in urban than in rural
areas. A distinct seasonal pattern emerged, with the biggest infestation occurring in the
winter and the lowest in the summer. Scabies risk factors estimated 89% of the variation in
its prevalence.
The classic scabies symptoms include an erythematous papular eruption, burrows, and intense
itching. It is usually transmitted by prolonged skin-skin contact. Predilection sites are
fingers, axilla, elbows, waist, belly, groin, genital area, etc. Classic scabies can be
diagnosed by proper taking history and clinical symptoms. Some of the clinical variations of
scabies are Crusted, nodular, and bullous. On examination under a microscope of scrapings
collected from skin lesions, finding the mites, eggs, confirms the infestation of scabies .
Topical permethrin and oral ivermectin are the medications of choice for scabies mite
elimination. Topical Permethrin 5% applied for 9-14 hours for adults than for children only
8-9 hours. Permethrin 5% only single dose is enough but the second dose can be applied after
an interval of 2 weeks if the etiology is still there. Ivermectin is now used to treat
scabies, with an effective dosage of 150 to 200 μg/kg given once or may give twice after
interval of two weeks. The positives include a single dosage and improved compliance in
resistant infestations and situations where head-to-toe topical administration is
logistically problematic, such as huge outbreaks or mentally impaired individuals. Fever,
arthralgia, myalgia, dizziness, headache, hypotension, tachycardia, and lymphadenopathy have
all been reported as adverse effects. There have also been reports of a prolonged prothrombin
time, a transient EKG, and variations in liver enzymes.
The study's implications are to analyze the safety and efficacy of these two drugs in order
to better treat patients with evidence-based management and rule out any potential adverse
effects.