Ivermectin/ Permethrin for Scabies

Permethrin acts by disrupting the sodium channel current, resulting in delayed repolarization, paralysis, and death of the parasite. Sodium channels are ubiquitous and therefore permethrin acts at all stages of the life cycle of the parasite. Permethrin 5% cream is applied overnight once a week for two weeks to the entire body. This drug has a number of negative side effects, such as being expensive, uncomfortable, less applicable, and in some cases resistant to permethrin. Ivermectin is an alternate treatment for scabies and should be administered twice, one week apart. Ivermectin acts by binding selectively and with high affinity to glutamate-gated chloride ion channels, which are present in invertebrate nerve and muscle cells, resulting in paralysis and death of the parasite. Two doses of ivermectin one week apart are recommended for scabies treatment. Due to its specific site of action, ivermectin may not be effective against the younger stages of the parasite inside the egg because the nervous system has not yet developed. This drug is safe, more affordable, more practical to use, and has minimal side effects. The disadvantage of ivermectin is it does not kill all the stages of S. scabiei, necessitating multiple doses. According to several earlier research, topical permethrin is just as effective as oral ivermectin at one or two doses.

There hasn't been any research on how well three doses of oral ivermectin treat scabies. As a result of no data, our trial is looking forward to answering the comparison of the effectiveness between three dosages of oral ivermectin, two dosages of oral ivermectin, and two applications of topical permethrin in scabies patients.

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female
• Age 6 years or above
• Body weight 15kg or above
• Clinical establishment of diagnosed scabies

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Scabies with secondary infection
• Scabies with eczematization
• History of receiving scabies treatment in the last four weeks
• History of drug hypersensitivity