A survey on head lice infestation in Korea (2001) and the therapeutic efficacy of oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole adding to lindane shampoo

Korean J Parasitol. 2003 Mar;41(1):57-61. doi: 10.3347/kjp.2003.41.1.57.

Abstract

Total of 7,495 children including 3,908 boys and 3,587 girls from a kindergarten and 15 primary schools were examined for head lice infestation (HLI). The overall prevalence of HLI in this study was found to be 5.8%. Head lice were much more commonly detected in girls than in boys with prevalence of 11.2% and 0.9%, respectively. Sixty-nine children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo alone (group 1), and 45 children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (group 2), and follow-up visits were conducted 2 and 4 weeks later. The children who still had HLI 2 weeks after the primary treatment were treated again. At the 2-week follow-up visit, the treatment success rates of groups 1 and 2 were 76.8% and 86.7%, respectively, and at the 4-week follow-up visit, the rates were 91.3% and 97.8%, respectively. No statistically significant synergistic effect was observed for the combination of a 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Hair Preparations*
  • Health Surveys
  • Hexachlorocyclohexane / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Korea / epidemiology
  • Lice Infestations / drug therapy*
  • Lice Infestations / epidemiology*
  • Male
  • Pediculus*
  • Prevalence
  • Students
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Hair Preparations
  • Hexachlorocyclohexane
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination