Management and Treatment of Human Lice

Table 1

Main products used in clinical trials in humans: efficacy and safety.

Comparison of treatments	Efficacy	Safety	References
1,2-Octanediol versus malathion	More effective	Adverse effects reported	[18]
1,2-Octanediol versus placebo	Effective	No serious adverse events	[19]
Cocamide DEA versus permethrin	May be as effective	Adverse effects reported	[20]
Phenothrin versus wet-combing	May be as effective	No evidence of harms from combing	[21]
Tocopheryl acetate versus permethrin	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[22]
Dimeticone versus permethrin	More effective	No serious adverse events	[23, 24]
Dimeticone versus malathion	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[25]
Dimeticone versus dimeticone plus nerolidol	As effective	No adverse effects reported	[26]
Dimeticone 4% lotion versus phenothrin	Equally effective	Few adverse effects reported	[27]
Ivermectin versus malathion	As effective	No major adverse effects observed	[28, 29]
Ivermectin versus placebo (vehicle)	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[30]
Malathion lotion versus phenothrin	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[31]
Malathion versus permethrin	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[32]
Lindane versus permethrin	As effective	Adverse effects reported	[33]
Permethrin versus lindane	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[34]
Permethrin versus combing	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[35]
Permethrin versus placebo	More effective	No adverse effects reported	[36]
TMP-SMX plus permethrin versus permethrin alone	More effective	No major adverse effects reported	[37]
Combined insecticides versus herbal oils	As effective	No clinically detectable adverse effects	[38]
Soya oil-based shampoo versus permethrin	More effective	No serious adverse events	[39]
Coconut and anise in spray versus permethrin	More effective	Adverse effects reported	[40]
Combing versus phenothrin	More effective	No evidence of harms from combing	[41]
Bug Buster kit versus malathion or permethrin	More effective	No information on adverse effects	[42]