SCABIES- What is this? 

• Scabies is a highly contagious disease (easily spread)

• It is caused when a particular mite infects the skin.

• This mite digs into the skin and makes burrows to live and lay eggs. These burrows can be seen through a magnifying glass.

• Typically the area of palm (hand) between fingers is affected.

• Generally, other family members with close contact with the patient are also infected simultaneously.

• Other areas of infection may be wrist, elbow area, waistline.

 

SPREAD

• The mites are spread by physical contact and occasionally by sharing beds, linen, clothes.

• Hence during treatment of child all their clothes, bedding need to be washed in hot water and dried in sunlight.

• If the child attends school, the school should be intimated as other students may also need treatment.

 

DIAGNOSIS

• Diagnosis is a clinical one.

• A doctor should be able to diagnose by history and clinical examination.

• The lesion is highly itchy. The child may present with intense itching, especially at night when the mites tend to come out of the burrow. Scratch marks are obviously visible

• The lesions appear as small red blotches and silver-coloured lines on the skin.

• In babies, there can be blisters and pustules on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands.

• Occasionally the face, neck scalp in babies are affected

 

MANAGEMENT

• All close contacts( family and friends) should be treated at the same time even if they do not have any symptoms.

• If all the contacts are not adequately treated, it may lead to treatment failure and the child may have prolonged periods of this infection.

• Change bed linen, clothes and clean in a hot wash.

 

TREATMENT

Talk to your doctor always before the treatment

Permethrin 5% cream (not recommended for pregnant contacts).

• Apply to the whole body from the neck down and wash off after 8-14 hours.

• Include scalp in infants.

• Use cotton buds to apply to nail beds.

• Reapply the cream or lotion immediately to any areas of skin that are washed during the period of application

Malathion 0.5% aqueous lotion.(wash after 12 hours).

• Anti-allergy syrups (chlorpheniramine) may reduce itching.

• Occasionally steroid creams to control itching is prescribed

• Antibiotics ( Flucloxacillin), if secondary infection is suspected

 

Contact your doctor if the itching hasn’t improved after two weeks of treatment and you notice new burrows on your skin.