trial comparing wet combing and malathion for head lice
Last reviewed 01/2018
This trial screened 4037 school children and found 167 with head lice. Of these 81 were eligible to enter the trial. The trial was performed in a part of Wales with an intermediate prevalence of pediculicide resistance.
The trial was a randomised controlled trial of:
- a commercial wet combing kit which was used every 3-4 days fro 2 weeks, versus
- two applications of malathion, 7 days apart
The primary end-point was the presence of live lice 7 days after the end of treatment.
Reference:
- Roberts, RJ, Casey, D. et al. (2000). Comparison of wet combing with malathion for treatment of head lice in the UK: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Lancet; 356:540-44