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

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

• Sim S
• Lee IY
• Lee KJ
• Seo JH
• Im KI
• Shin MH
• Yong TS

• KMID: 1720467
• DOI: http://doi.org/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.

MeSH Terms

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