Oral Ivermectin versus 0.5% Topical Malathion Lotion in Patients with Head Lice: a Systematic Review
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy between oral ivermectin and 0.5% topical malathion lotion in patients with head lice infestation.
METHODS
We systematically and independently searched and reviewed by four reviewers. We searched seven sources including Trip Database, Pubmed, Google Scholar, UpToDate, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and Scopus as well as the reference lists preliminary included article from searching. We included all relevant randomized controlled trial comparing efficacy of oral ivermectin and 0.5% topical malathion lotion.
RESULTS
We identified and included two randomized controlled trials with 892 patients with head lice infestation. The absence rate of live head lice on day 8 was not significantly different between using oral ivermectin and malathion lotion (relative risk [RR] 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 2.07; I2=96%). The absence rate of live head lice on day 15 was not significantly different between using two of them (RR 1.05; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.21; I2=80%). The absence rate of live head lice on day 29 was concluded that using oral ivermectin was statistically significant superior to absence rate of head lice using malathion lotion (RR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.13; I2=0%). Any adverse events was not a statistically significant difference between using the two of them (RR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.20; I2=0%). The following outcomes of comparing between oral ivermectin and malathion were concluded based on one study; serious adverse effects, adverse events the primary reason for discontinuation and treatment-related adverse events showed (RR 1.04; 95% CI, 0.07 to 16.62), (RR 1.46; 95% CI, 0.47 to 4.56) and (RR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.08), respectively.
CONCLUSION
There was no statistically significant difference in the absence rate of live head lice on day 8 between using oral ivermectin and malathion lotion.
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