New Cochrane treatment review forthcoming

The Cochrane Collaboration has released an updated protocol for assessing the effectiveness of head-lice treatments by means of meta-studies of Randomized Controlled Trials, as part of an update to their review of evidence for the effectiveness of pediculosis treatments. 

This review, when completed, will replace the now-deprecated review of 2001. No date has yet been given for publication of the updated review.

The aims of the review are given as follows:

• to compare the effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of pediculosis capitis;
• to compare the effectiveness of different formulations (of lotion, shampoo, creme rinse, mousse or systemic treatments) of the same insecticide against pediculosis capitis;
• to determine the safety and tolerability of topical chemical or herbal applications, physical methods or oral treatment agents used for treating pediculosis capitis; and
• to determine the relative effectiveness of topical pediculicides, physical methods and oral treatments.

The Protocol lists the following known treatments for pediculosis (references for most treatments are given in the Protocol itself):

The Cochrane Collaboration is an independent body formed in 1993 which aims to provide the best available research evidence on topics of human health care, principally via the preparation of literature meta-analyses published as Cochrane reviews.