A randomised, assessor blind, parallel group comparative efficacy trial of three products for the treatment of head lice in children - melaleuca oil and lavender oil, pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, and a "suffocation" product

• Published in: BMC dermatology Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 6
• Main Authors: Barker, Stephen C, Altman, Phillip M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 20.08.2010; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - administration & dosage; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - adverse effects; Asphyxia; Care and treatment; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis; Double-Blind Method; Health aspects; Humans; Insecticides - administration & dosage; Insecticides - adverse effects; Lice; Lice Infestations - drug therapy; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Oils, Volatile - administration & dosage; Oils, Volatile - adverse effects; Pediculosis; Pediculus - drug effects; Pesticide Synergists - administration & dosage; Pesticide Synergists - adverse effects; Piperonyl Butoxide - administration & dosage; Piperonyl Butoxide - adverse effects; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Plant Oils - adverse effects; Pyrethrins - administration & dosage; Pyrethrins - adverse effects; Tea Tree Oil - administration & dosage; Tea Tree Oil - adverse effects; Treatment Outcome; Australia
• ISSN: 1471-5945; 1471-5945
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-5945-10-6

There are many different types of pediculicides available OTC in Australia. In this study we compare the efficacy and safety of three topical pediculicides: a pediculicide containing melaleuca oil (tea tree oil) and lavender oil (TTO/LO); a head lice "suffocation" product; and a product containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide (P/PB). This study was a randomised, assessor-blind, comparative, parallel study of 123 subjects with live head lice. The head lice products were applied according to the manufacturer's instructions (the TTO/LO product and the "suffocation" product were applied three times at weekly intervals according to manufacturers instructions (on Day 0, Day 7 and Day 14) and the P/PB product was applied twice according to manufacturers instructions (on Day 0 and Day 7)). The presence or absence of live lice one day following the last treatment was determined. The percentage of subjects who were louse-free one day after the last treatment with the product containing tea tree oil and lavender oil (41/42; 97.6%) and the head lice "suffocation" product (40/41, 97.6%) was significantly higher compared to the percentage of subjects who were louse-free one day after the last treatment with the product containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide (10/40, 25.0%; adj. p < 0.0001). The high efficacy of the TTO/LO product and the head lice "suffocation" product offers an alternative to the pyrethrins-based product. The study was entered into the Australian/New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12610000179033.