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Scabies - Management
What should I do if I suspect treatment has failed?
- Re-examine the person to confirm that the diagnosis is correct and look for new burrows.
- Consider alternative diagnoses.
- If all contacts were treated simultaneously and treatment was applied correctly, give a course of a different insecticide:
- If permethrin 5% dermal cream was used initially then prescribe malathion 0.5% aqueous solution, OR
- If malathion 0.5% aqueous solution was used initially then prescribe permethrin 5% dermal cream.
- If contacts were not treated simultaneously or treatment was incorrectly applied, either re-treat with the same insecticide, or use a different insecticide.
- Ensure that all members of the household, close contacts, and sexual contacts are identified and re-treated simultaneously.
- Provide written advice explaining the correct application method.
In depth
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