The scourge of sarcoptes: oral ivermectin for scabies

To review the use of the oral antiparasitic ivermectin in the treatment of scabies, with an emphasis on its use in the elderly and in long-term care settings.

A MEDLINE/PUBMED search was conducted to identify pertinent studies, case reports, letters, and reviews in the English language. All articles published from 1980 to October 2003 were reviewed. Additional references were obtained from the bibliographies of these articles.

All studies evaluating ivermectin in the context of scabies mite infestation.

The semisynthetic macrocyclic lactone ivermectin has been available since the early 1980s as a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent in animals and humans. This agent, which works by suppressing motor nerve conduction leading to parasite paralysis and death, was first used in ectoparasitic diseases (i.e., those caused by lice and mites) shortly after commercial introduction. A large body of literature, mainly uncontrolled case reports and series, has since evolved. However, these reports and results of the small number of placebo- and/or active-controlled studies have demonstrated the favorable response of both classic and crusted scabies to single- and multiple-dose oral ivermectin. Adverse reactions to the drug are uncommon, with the exception of a transient, new onset, or mild increase in existing pruritus soon after drug ingestion, which is thought to be a hypersensitivity reaction to dead mites and/or their products.

Oral ivermectin may prove to be a time- and labor-saving alternative to topical scabicide treatments, especially in the institutional setting where labor shortages make the management of scabies outbreaks a true challenge. However, the use of this agent does not change the need to decontaminate the environment (clothing, bedding, bed clothes, and, in selected cases, floors and walls) in order to truncate an outbreak and prevent reinfestation.