The Efficacy of Vitamin A Supplement in the Treatment of Scabies

Abstract

Scabies is a debilitating contagious parasitic skin disease caused by a tiny mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) treated with the acaricides. Vitamin A supplementation is indicated in management of parasitic infestations in human. This study aimed to assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation as "add on therapy" on the cure rate and quality of life (Qol) in scabies patients treated either with permethin or benzyl benzoate lotions. A total number of 120 patients (66 males and 54 females), their ages ranged from 3 to 82 years were enrolled in this study. The clinical symptoms and signs were assessed according to their severity, location, lesion types and numbers. The severity of pruritis assessed by visual analogue scores (VAS). The Arabic version of Dermatology Life Quality Index for children and adults was applied to assess the impact of scabies on (QoL). Patients randomly sub-grouped to receive a single dose of 2500 IU vitamin A supplement to one application permethin lotion (5%) or two applications benzyl benzoate lotion (25%) and were followed-up for one week. Vitamin A supplementation improve the cure rate non-significantly in patients treated with permethin lotion (86.7% versus 66.7%, p > 0.05) whereas reached  to the significant level in patients treated with  benzyl benzoate lotion (76.7% versus 43.3%, p < 0.01), respectively. Permethin reduced the mean of total Qol scores in adult by 43.8% and after using vitamin A to 35.1% while benzyl benzoate reduced the mean scores in children by 40.6% and by 34.4% after using vitamin A. It concludes that vitamin A as an "add on therapy", in scabies, is a promising way to improve the cure rate and the quality of life within short period.

Keywords: Scabies, vitamin A, cure rate, quality of life

Scabies is a debilitating contagious parasitic skin disease caused by a tiny mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) treated with the acaricides. Vitamin A supplementation is indicated in management of parasitic infestations in human. This study aimed to assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation as "add on therapy" on the cure rate and quality of life (Qol) in scabies patients treated either with permethin or benzyl benzoate lotions. A total number of 120 patients (66 males and 54 females), their ages ranged from 3 to 82 years were enrolled in this study. The clinical symptoms and signs were assessed according to their severity, location, lesion types and numbers. The severity of pruritis assessed by visual analogue scores (VAS). The Arabic version of Dermatology Life Quality Index for children and adults was applied to assess the impact of scabies on (QoL). Patients randomly sub-grouped to receive a single dose of 2500 IU vitamin A supplement to one application permethin lotion (5%) or two applications benzyl benzoate lotion (25%) and were followed-up for one week. Vitamin A supplementation improve the cure rate non-significantly in patients treated with permethin lotion (86.7% versus 66.7%, p > 0.05) whereas reached  to the significant level in patients treated with  benzyl benzoate lotion (76.7% versus 43.3%, p < 0.01), respectively. Permethin reduced the mean of total Qol scores in adult by 43.8% and after using vitamin A to 35.1% while benzyl benzoate reduced the mean scores in children by 40.6% and by 34.4% after using vitamin A. It concludes that vitamin A as an "add on therapy", in scabies, is a promising way to improve the cure rate and the quality of life within short period.

Keywords: Scabies, vitamin A, cure rate, quality of life

Cite this Article

Marwan S.M. Al-Nimer, Eman M Tawfiq, Zeyad T. Abdulhadi, et al. The Efficacy of Vitamin A Supplement in the Treatment of Scabies; Research & Reviews: Journal of Medicine 2015; 5(1): 19–26p.