A comparison of efficacy of single topical permethrin and single oral ivermectin in the treatment of scabies

Background Scabies is a common health problem worldwide. Among available topical treatment modalities, 5% permethrin is the most effective scabicide with few side effects. Ivermectin is the only oral scabicide available. It is effective, inexpensive and easy to administer with no known drug interactions and limited side effects. Objective To compare the efficacy of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin in treatment of scabies. Patients and methods In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 120 patients of scabies were enrolled and randomly divided in 2 groups of 60 each. Topical 5% permethrin whole body application for 10-12 hours and oral ivermectin as 200μg/kg were used in groups A and B, respectively. In both groups, history, examination and microscopy were carried out at day 0, 7 and day 14. Response to treatment was judged on following parameters: decrease in severity of pruritus, nonappearance of new lesions and absence of burrows. Each parameter was scored and sum total of individual scores was used to determine the efficacy. Results Mean age in group A (permethrin) was 29.45+9.72 years and in group B (ivermectin) was 31.45+12.78 years. In both groups, 66.7% patients showed complete cure. Conclusion There is no significant difference regarding efficacy of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin when used in treatment of scabies