A prospective observational comparative study of the effectiveness and adverse effects of 5% topical permethrin and oral ivermectin versus 5% topical permethrin alone for the treatment of scabies in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Scabies is a contagious skin conditions that exclusively infect humans and spread through direct skinto-skin contact. Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of 5% topical permethrin and oral ivermectin versus 5% topical permethrin alone for the treatment of scabies. Methods: This prospective observational comparative study included 150 diagnosed patients with scabies aged > 5 years who were divided into two groups. Group A received 5% permethrin cream and 12-mg of ivermectin, and group B received 5% permethrin cream. The patients were followed up at the first, second, and fourth weeks. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed according to the reduction in the number and severity of lesions. The severity of itching was assessed by using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The adverse effects were also monitored. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Student “t” test, the chisquare test, and the Friedman test were used. Results: There were 71 males (47.3%) and 79 females (52.6%). Group A exhibited mean and standard deviation (m ± SD) values of 40.3 ± 9.4 and 2.8 ± 3.4 for no. of lesions at baseline and at week 4, respectively. In contrast, Group B had 40.1 ± 10.7 and 2.7 ±3.2 for no. of lesions at these time points. For VAS score, Group A recorded 2.89 ± 0.31 and 0.79 ± 0.68 at baseline and at week 4, while Group B showed 2.81 ± 0.39 and 0.71 ± 0.63 for these respective measures. The groups were compared, and the p value was > 0.05. The incidence of adverse effects was higher in Group A than in Group B. Conclusion: Both groups showed equal effectiveness in the treatment of scabies.