What is scabies?

• Scabies is a very itchy skin condition.

• Children and adults rarely have lesions (itchy spots) above the neck.

• Infants, however, tend to have more widespread involvement, including the face and scalp, and especially the palms and soles.

• The main symptom of scabies is itching, particularly at night.

Scabies

What causes it?

• Scabies is caused by a very small mite, about 0.4 mm in length, that can barely be seen by the human eye.

How is it spread?

• Scabies is almost always caught from another person, usually another family member or someone else with whom you have come into close contact.

• It has nothing to do with dirt or poor personal hygiene.

Where does the rash occur?

• The itchy rash of scabies is most often located between the fingers, on the sides of the hands and feet, wrists, umbilicus (belly button), waistband area, armpits, ankles, buttocks, and groin.

How is it treated?

• Use permethrin (Elimite and Acticin)

  • Elimite and Acticin both contain permethrin cream 5%.

  • A prescription is required.

  • Thirty grams (half a tube) of medication are enough for an adult.

• Follow these instructions

  • After a warm bath, apply a thin layer of Elimite or Acticin to all skin surfaces from head to toe (including the palms and soles and scalp in small children), and leave it on for 8 to 12 hours, usually overnight.

  • Wash it off the next morning.

• Your health care provider may prescribe an oral medication known as ivermectin in very stubborn cases.

• If instructed by your health care provider, have other family members and contacts treated at the same time.

• Make sure that all bed linens and intimate undergarments are washed in hot water after treatment is completed.

• Generally, only one treatment is necessary; however, a second treatment is often recommended in 4 to 5 days, especially in long-standing cases and in infants with scabies of the palms and soles.

What should I expect after treatment?

• It is normal to continue itching for days or even weeks after treatment, but the itching is usually less intense.

• Call your health care provider if you or your child is not better.

• Do not continue to apply the prescription medications unless otherwise instructed.