Efficacy of combination therapy 5% permethrin cream and precipitated sulfur (ointment 2-4) compared with single therapy of 5% permethrin cream in children

Introduction: Scabies is a skin infestation with the main pruritus symptom caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. The common complaints are discomfort due to itching and a picture of lesions on the skin in the form of papules, pustules, or vesicles. The study aims to analyze the comparative efficacy of using a combination therapy of 5% permethrin cream and precipitated sulfur (ointment 2-4) compared with single therapy of 5% permethrin cream in pediatric scabies patients at the Outpatient Clinic Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital in the 2019-2020 period. Methods: This study is an analytical study using a cross-sectional retrospective method, which aims to compare the effectiveness of using a combination of 5% permethrin cream and precipitated sulfur(ointment 2-4) compared to 5% permethrin cream as a single therapy. Study data were processed using SPSS, followed by univariate and bivariate analyses using statistical methods and comparative tests. Results: This study found 88 new scabies patients, with the number of patients who received permethrin single therapy as many as 43 patients (51.1%), while those who received combination therapy were 45 patients (48.9%). Scabies treatment using combination therapy has better effectiveness than single therapy 5% permethrin cream when seen from the absence of new complaints and improvement of skin lesions after receiving treatment. Analysis of therapy results for the emergence of new complaints with a p-value of 0.010 showed significant results. Analysis of the results of therapy seen in skin lesions improved on single therapy with a p-value of 0.014, indicating significant results. Conclusion: Significant results were found in the group that received combination therapy treatment seen from the improvement of skin lesions and no new lesions were found, while there were no significant comparison results when seen from complaints of itching