Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29858405›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2018

Treatment of scabies using a tea tree oil-based gel formulation in Australian Aboriginal children: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Jackson Thomas, Rachel Davey, Gregory M Peterson, Christine Carson, Shelley F Walton, Tim Spelman, Tom Calma, Pascale Dettwiller, Jacinta Tobin, Faye McMillan and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Nano-Enabled Advances in Tea Tree Essential Oil (Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Paediatrics: how to manage scabies.Drugs in context · 2021
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 10 institutions in 1 country.

Jackson ThomasFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Rachel DaveyFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Gregory M PetersonFaculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
Christine CarsonSchool of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Shelley F WaltonFaculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Australia.
Tim SpelmanBurnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Australia.
Tom CalmaUniversity of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Pascale DettwillerFlinders University Rural Clinic School, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Jacinta TobinDepartment of Child and Adolescent Health, Mackay Hospital and Health Service, West Mackay, Australia.
Faye McMillanSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia.
Paul CollisFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Mark NauntonFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Sam KosariFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Julia K ChristensonFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Andrew BartholomaeusFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
John McEwenFaculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.
Peter FitzpatrickWurli-Wurlinjang Health Service, Katherine, Australia.
Kavya E BabyThe Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia.
University of Canberra · AUBurnet Institute · AUCanberra Hospital · AUCharles Sturt University · AUFlinders University · AUKatherine Hospital · AUMackay Base Hospital · AUUniversity of Tasmania · AUUniversity of the Sunshine Coast · AUUniversity of Western Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIn remote Aboriginal communities in Australia, scabies affects 7 out of 10 children before their first birthday. This is more than six times the rate seen in the rest of the developed world. Scabies infestation is frequently complicated by bacterial infection, leading to the development of skin sores and other more serious consequences, such as septicaemia and chronic heart and kidney diseases. Tea tree oil (TTO) has been used as an antimicrobial agent for several decades with proven clinical efficacy. Preclinical investigations have demonstrated superior scabicidal properties of TTO compared with widely used scabicidal agents, such as permethrin 5% cream and ivermectin. However, current data are insufficient to warrant a broad recommendation for its use for the management of scabies because previous studies were small or limited to in vitro observations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A pragmatic first trial will examine the clinical efficacy of a simple and low-cost TTO treatment against paediatric scabies and the prevention of associated secondary bacterial infections, with 1:1 randomisation of 200 participants (Aboriginal children, aged 5-16 years and living in remote Australia) into active control (permethrin 5% cream) and treatment (5% TTO gel) groups. The primary outcome for the study is clinical cure (complete resolution). Secondary outcome measures will include relief of symptoms, recurrence rate, adverse effects, adherence to treatment regimen and patient acceptability. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The project has received approvals from the University of Canberra Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC 16-133), Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service Indigenous subcommittee and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory reference group. The results of this study will be published in core scientific publications, with extensive knowledge exchange activities with non-academic audiences throughout the duration of the project.

trial registrationACTRN12617000902392; Pre-results.

Indexed as

AdolescentAnti-Infective Agents, LocalChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHealth Services, IndigenousHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleNorthern TerritoryPragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicProportional Hazards ModelsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicScabiesTea Tree OilTreatment OutcomeAnti-Infective Agents, LocalTea Tree Oilcomplementary medicineinfection controlinfectious diseasestropical medicine

Identifiers

PMID29858405
PMCPMC5988111
OpenAlexW2805091122

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.