A comparative study to assess the efficacy of permethrin (topical) and benzyl benzoate (topical) for the treatment of scabies patients

Abstract

Several attempts have been made to come up with the anti-scabies drugs that are more efficient and safer. In India, scabies is more prevalent in overcrowded communities with low socioeconomic conditions, due to which the best efficient anti scabies drugs or treatment are unaffordable to them. To comparatively assess the efficacy of permethrin (topical) and benzyl benzoate (topical) in scabies patients. Study subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of scabies were included in this study. After enrolling 178 study subjects, they were equally distributed to two study groups (A & B) using a computer-generated random allocation number and were given the desired respective therapeutic interventions. Subjects in Group A were given permethrin 5% cream. The Benzyl Benzoate 10% to 25% emulsion was allocated for Group B subjects. Efficacy of two groups of drugs was compared in terms of improvement in clinical grading of disease (%) & improvement in clinical grading of pruritus (%) during follow up visits at the end of 1, 2, 4 & 6 weeks. The mean age (± SD) for study subjects in the Group A was 18.18 ± 11.33 years, whereas, in Group B, it was 28.86 ± 12.39 years. The clinical cure rate of Permethrin and Benzyl benzoate was 72% and 34% at the end of the first week. It was 98% and 60% at the end of the second week. Data shows that permethrin is more efficacious than Benzyl benzoate. Comparatively, during consecutive visits, permethrin provided better and fast improvement in pruritis grade than benzyl benzoate. In the treatment of scabies permethrin (topical) was found to be more efficacious in comparison to benzyl benzoate (topical). The clinical cure rate of Permethrin and Benzyl benzoate was 72% and 34% at the end of the first week. Permethrin provided better and fast improvement in pruritis grade than benzyl benzoate.