A study of clinical aspects of scabies

Abstract

Background: Scabies is a contagious parasitic infestation, which causes an allergic reaction to mites. Despite a decrease in the prevalence of scabies, there is still a significantly great infestation rate among the elderly. Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the clinical aspects of scabies patients in the last 6 years. Methods: A total of 133 out-patients, who were diagnosed as scabies in the department of dermatology from January, 2006 to December, 2011, were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Scabies patients accounted for 0.28% of all new patients (133/47, 249). The ratio of male to female was 0.60 to 1. The mean age of the patients was 48.4 years old. Of the participating patients, 35.3% were over 65 years old. There was no seasonal variation in the occurrence. The most common cutaneous lesions were pruritic papule and burrow. The most common suspected routes of infection were hospitalization infection (54.9%), and occupational infection in the hospital or residential home for the elderly (23.3%). The mean time to be required to diagnose scabies was 78.8 days. The mean time to diagnose scabies in people who work in the hospital or residential home for the elderly was 58.0 days. Conclusion: The study provides useful data on the prevalence and characteristics of scabies.