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Comparison of oral ivermectin vs. lindane lotion 1% for the treatment of scabies
Author(s) -
Mohebbipour A.,
Saleh P.,
Goldust M.,
Amirnia M.,
Zadeh Y. J.,
Mohamad R. M.,
Rezaee E.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/ced.12079
Subject(s) - ivermectin , scabies , lindane , lotion , medicine , dermatology , pesticide , veterinary medicine , pharmacology , biology , agronomy
Summary Background Scabies is a common parasitic infestation that is an important public‐health problem in many resource‐poor regions. It is commonly treated with the insecticides ivermectin and permethrin. Aim To compare the efficacy and safety of oral ivermectin vs. lindane lotion 1% for the treatment of scabies. Methods In total, 148 patients with scabies were enrolled, and were randomized into two groups: the first group received a single dose of oral ivermectin 200 μg/kg body weight, and the second group were treated with two applications of topical lindane lotion 1%, with a 1‐week interval between applications. Treatment was evaluated at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks, and if there was treatment failure at the 2‐week follow‐up, treatment was repeated. Results A single dose of ivermectin provided a cure rate of 60.8% at the 2‐week follow‐up, which increased to 89.1% at the 4‐week follow‐up. after crossing over to the lindane lotion 1% group. Treatment with two applications of lindane lotion 1%, with a 1‐week interval between them, was effective in 47.2% of patients at the 2‐week follow‐up, which increased to 72.9% at the 4‐week follow‐up after this treatment was repeated. Conclusions A single dose of ivermectin was as effective as two applications of lindane lotion 1% at the 2‐week follow‐up. After repeat treatment, ivermectin was superior to lindane lotion 1% at the 4‐week follow up. The delay in clinical response with ivermectin suggests that it may not be effective against all the stages in the life cycle of the parasite.