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Scaabies Research Paper

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Scabies Treatment

Scabies is a major global health problem caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, an obligate human ectoparasite measuring between 330 and 450 µm in length. Treatment of this disease has undergone various changes from the days of Roman physician Celsus, when sulphur mixed with liquid pitch was used as a primary approach.

Today, scabies therapy involves making the correct diagnosis, recognizing the correct clinical context to guide treatment of contacts and fomites, choosing the most effective medication, understanding how to use the agent properly, and following a rational basis for when to use and reuse that agent. Scabicidal drugs can be broadly divided into topical agents and oral agents.

Topical agents …show more content…

Permethrin 5% cream is currently accepted as the gold standard because of an efficacy greater than 90% and excellent safety profile. This topical drug is labeled for application to the entire body for 8 to 12 hours, usually right before bedtime.

Lindane 1% cream or lotion (also known as gamma benzene hexachloride) has been found to be very effective alternative option in the treatment of this ectoparasitosis. Nevertheless, its potential neurotoxicity (especially with repeated applications) has limited its use, thus the product is no longer available in certain countries.

Benzyl benzoate, an ester of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol, is neurotoxic to the mites and used as a 25% emulsion for the contact period of 24 hours. As it is very effective when used properly, the emulsion should be applied below the neck three times within 24 hours without an intervening bath. Its use increased for the treatment of permethrin-resistant crusted scabies.

Crotamiton is used as 10% cream or lotion with the success rate between 50% and 70%, which is a significantly less efficacious than permethrin. Although this topical agent is labeled for application over 1 to 2 days, daily application for 5 days has yielded better cure …show more content…

Most studies have shown that one or two doses of ivermectin (200 ug per kilogram of body weight) result in cure rates equivalent to treatment with conventional topical medications.

Efficacy rates from open-label studies of ivermectin for the treatment of classic scabies range from 76% to 100%. Safety profile of the drug is also good, and no serious adverse effects were noted in the treatment of large number children with scabies in the Solomon Islands.

There is some observational evidence of ivermectin effectiveness in controlling scabies outbreaks in institutional settings such as nursing homes. Mass drug administration programs have been attempted to use this agent for scabies control in endemic communities around the world; however, such programs' superiority over alternative topical treatment is

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