A randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of individual versus household treatment for scabies in Lambaréné, Gabon

TY - JOUR

T1 - A randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of individual versus household treatment for scabies in Lambaréné, Gabon

AU - Matthewman, Julian

AU - Manego, Rella Zoleko

AU - Mbadinga, Lia Betty Dimessa

AU - Šinkovec, Hana

AU - Völker, Katrin

AU - Akinosho, Malik

AU - Haedrich, Christian

AU - D’hamonville, Jeanne Tardif

AU - Lell, Bertrand

AU - Adegnika, Ayola Akim

AU - Ramharter, Michael

AU - Mombo-Ngoma, Ghyslain

N1 - Funding Information: This study was institutionally funded by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and the CERMEL. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Matthewman et al. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/6

Y1 - 2020/6

N2 - BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether individual treatment of scabies is similarly effective compared to household treatment. This study compared these two treatment strategies with topical benzyl benzoate for treating scabies in Lambaréné, Gabon.METHODS: Participants presenting with uncomplicated scabies were randomized into either the Individual Treatment group, where only the affected participants received treatment, or the Household Treatment group, where all family members were treated in parallel to the affected participants regardless of signs and symptoms. The primary endpoint was clinical cure after 28 days; the secondary endpoint was the proportion of affected household members per household after 28 days.RESULTS: After 28 days, from a total of 79 participants assessed, 67% (n = 53) were clinically cured; 59% (20/34) in the Individual Treatment group and 73% (33/45) in the Household Treatment group. Participants in the Household Treatment group had about twice the odds of being cured (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.8-4.9; p = 0.17). For the secondary outcome, an effect of similar size was observed.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that treating close contacts of persons affected by scabies may be beneficial to patients and contacts, however, the benefit was less pronounced than anticipated and further research is needed to definitively answer this question.

AB - BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether individual treatment of scabies is similarly effective compared to household treatment. This study compared these two treatment strategies with topical benzyl benzoate for treating scabies in Lambaréné, Gabon.METHODS: Participants presenting with uncomplicated scabies were randomized into either the Individual Treatment group, where only the affected participants received treatment, or the Household Treatment group, where all family members were treated in parallel to the affected participants regardless of signs and symptoms. The primary endpoint was clinical cure after 28 days; the secondary endpoint was the proportion of affected household members per household after 28 days.RESULTS: After 28 days, from a total of 79 participants assessed, 67% (n = 53) were clinically cured; 59% (20/34) in the Individual Treatment group and 73% (33/45) in the Household Treatment group. Participants in the Household Treatment group had about twice the odds of being cured (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.8-4.9; p = 0.17). For the secondary outcome, an effect of similar size was observed.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that treating close contacts of persons affected by scabies may be beneficial to patients and contacts, however, the benefit was less pronounced than anticipated and further research is needed to definitively answer this question.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087347416&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008423

DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008423

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 32589632

AN - SCOPUS:85087347416

VL - 14

SP - e0008423

JO - PLOS NEGLECT TROP D

JF - PLOS NEGLECT TROP D

SN - 1935-2735

IS - 6

ER -