Trial comparing wet combing and malathion for head lice

This trial screened 4037 school children and found 167 with head lice. Of these 81 were eligible to enter the trial. The trial was performed in a part of Wales with an intermediate prevalence of pediculicide resistance.

The trial was a randomised controlled trial of:

• a commercial wet combing kit which was used every 3-4 days fro 2 weeks, versus
• two applications of malathion, 7 days apart

The primary end-point was the presence of live lice 7 days after the end of treatment.

Reference:

• Roberts, RJ, Casey, D. et al. (2000). Comparison of wet combing with malathion for treatment of head lice in the UK: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Lancet; 356:540-44