permethrin
American Heritage Dictionary:
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per·meth·rin
(pər-mĕth'rĭn) 
n.
A topical insecticide, C21H20CL2O3, used to treat head lice and nits, scabies, and various species of ticks.
n.
A topical insecticide, C21H20CL2O3, used to treat head lice and nits, scabies, and various species of ticks.
[PER- + (res)methrin, a pyrethroid (resm-, of unknown origin + (PYR)ETHRIN).]
Drug Info:
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Permethrin
Brand names: A-200® Lice Control Spray, Acticin®, Elimite®, Nix® Cream Rinse
Chemical formula:
- Drug Forms:
- Permethrin Topical cream (below)
- Permethrin lotion
- Permethrin skin cream
- Permethrin Topical lotion
- Espa�ol:
- Permetrina, Crema tópica
- Loción de permetrina
- Crema de permetrina para la piel
- Permetrina, Loción tópica
Permethrin Topical cream
What is this medicine?
PERMETHRIN (per METH rin) skin cream is used to treat scabies.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
•asthma
•an unusual or allergic reaction to permethrin, veterinary or household insecticides, other medicines, chrysanthemums, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying to get pregnant
•breast-feeding
How should I use this medicine?
This medicine is for external use only. Do not take by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. A bath or shower is NOT recommended before applying this medicine. Thoroughly rub the cream into all skin surfaces, from your head to the soles of your feet. It is important to apply it everywhere on your body, not just where the rash is. Apply the cream between fingers and toe creases, in the folds of the wrist and waistline, in the cleft of the buttocks, on the genitals, and in the belly button. Use a toothpick to apply the cream beneath your fingernails and toenails. Nails should be cut short. If you have little or no hair, or you are applying the cream to an infant or young child, make sure you rub the cream into the neck, scalp, hairline, temples, and forehead. Leave it on for 8 to 14 hours, then remove it by bathing and shampooing. If you are applying this medicine to another person, wear plastic or disposable gloves to protect yourself from infestation. Do not get this medicine in your eyes. If you do, rinse out with plenty of cool tap water.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 2 months of age for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
What may interact with this medicine?
Interactions are not expected. Do not use any other skin products on the affected area without telling your doctor or health care professional.
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medicine?
It is not unusual for itching and rash to continue for as long as 2 to 4 weeks after treatment. These symptoms may be a temporary reaction to the remains of the mites. This does not mean this cream did not work or that it needs to be reapplied. If you feel that the itching and rash is intense or if it continues beyond 4 weeks, talk to your doctor or health care professional right away.
Scabies is spread by direct skin contact with an infected person. Family members and sexual partners may require treatment with this medicine. You should discuss this with your doctor or health care professional.
Using a normal washing cycle, you should wash all clothing, towels and bed linen that has touched your skin. You do not need to rewash clean clothing that has not yet been worn. Coats, furniture, rugs, floors, and walls do not need to be cleaned in any special manner.
What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
•itching
•numbness
•rash
•redness or mild swelling of the skin
•stinging or burning
•tingling sensation
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Where should I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature away from heat and direct light. Do not refrigerate or freeze. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
Last updated: 7/1/2002
Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.
Oxford A-Z of Medicinal Drugs:
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permethrin
A pesticide that is used clinically to treat infestations of crab lice and scabies. It is available as a cream and can be obtained without a prescription, but only from pharmacies.
Side effects:
permethrin may cause itching, redness, and stinging of the skin.
Precautions:
permethrin should not be applied near the eyes or on broken skin; treatment of children under two years old should be supervised by a doctor.
Proprietary preparations:
Lyclear Creme Rinse; Lyclear Dermal Cream.
| perindopril, pericyazine, pergolide | |
| perphenazine, pessary, pethidine hydrochloride |
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:
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permethrin
A third-generation synthetic pyrethroid widely used in the control of ectoparasites. It is very stable and lasts for several weeks.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Permethrin
| Permethrin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
3-Phenoxybenzyl |
|
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 52645-53-1  |
| PubChem | 40326 |
| ChemSpider | 36845 |
| UNII | 509F88P9SZ |
| DrugBank | DB04930 |
| KEGG | C14388 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:34911 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL1525 |
| ATC code | P03,QP53AC04 |
| Jmol-3D images | Image 1 |
|
|
|
|
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C21H20Cl2O3 |
| Molar mass | 391.28 g/mol |
| Appearance | colourless crystals |
| Density | 1.19 g/cm³, solid |
| Melting point |
34 °C, 307 K, 93 °F |
| Boiling point |
200 °C, 473 K, 392 °F |
| Solubility in water | Insoluble (5.5 x 10-3 ppm) |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| Main hazards | Irritating to skin and eyes, damaging to lungs |
| Related compounds | |
| Related pyrethroids | Bifenthrin Deltamethrin |
 (verify) (what is:  / ?)Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
|
| Infobox references | |
Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical, widely used as an insecticide, acaricide, and insect repellent. It belongs to the family of synthetic chemicals called pyrethroids and functions as a neurotoxin, affecting neuron membranes by prolonging sodium channel activation. It is not known to rapidly harm most mammals or birds, but is dangerously toxic to cats[1][2] and fish. In general, it has a low mammalian toxicity and is poorly absorbed by skin.[3]
In medicine, permethrin is a first-line treatment for scabies; a 5% (w/w) cream is marketed by Johnson & Johnson under the name Lyclear. In Nordic countries and Canada, it is marketed under trade name Nix, often available over the counter.
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Contents
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Uses
Permethrin is used:
- as an insecticide
- in agriculture, to protect crops
- in agriculture, to kill livestock parasites
- for industrial/domestic insect control
- as an insect repellent or insect screen
- in timber treatment
- as a personal protective measure (cloth impregnant, used primarily for US military uniforms and mosquito nets)
- in pet flea preventative collars or treatment.
Pest control
In agriculture, permethrin is mainly used on cotton, wheat, maize, and alfalfa crops. Its use is controversial because, as a broad-spectrum chemical, it kills indiscriminately; as well as the intended pests, it can harm beneficial insects including honey bees, and aquatic life.[4]
Permethrin kills ticks on contact with treated clothing. A method of reducing deer tick populations by treating rodent vectors involves stuffing biodegradable cardboard tubes with permethrin-treated cotton. Mice collect the cotton for lining their nests. Permethrin on the cotton instantly kills any immature ticks that are feeding on the mice. It is important to put the tubes where mice will find them, such as in dense, dark brush, or at the base of a log; mice are unlikely to gather cotton from an open lawn.
Permethrin is used in tropical areas to prevent mosquito-borne disease such as dengue fever and malaria. Mosquito nets used to cover beds may be treated with a solution of permethrin. This increases the effectiveness of the bed net by killing parasitic insects before they are able to find gaps or holes in the net. Military personnel training in malaria-endemic areas may be instructed to treat their uniforms with permethrin, as well. An application should last several washes.
Personal healthcare
Permethrin is used on humans to eradicate parasites such as head lice and mites responsible for scabies; the common prescription is Permethrin with 5% concentration for scabies, and OTC (over-the-counter) treatment for head lice/crabs is usually permethrin with 1% concentration. However, the British National Formulary states that permethrin has low efficacy in eradicating head lice[citation needed].
Permethrin is also used in industrial and domestic settings to control pests such as ants and termites.
Stereochemistry
Permethrin has four stereoisomers (two enantiomeric pairs), arising from the two stereocentres in the cyclopropane ring. The trans enantiomeric pair is known as transpermethrin.
-
(1S)-trans-acid moiety -
one cis enantiomer -
the other cis enantiomer
-trans-permethrin.svg){kind=spacer}
Toxicology and safety
Permethrin acts as a neurotoxin, slowing down the nervous system through binding to sodium channels. This action is negatively correlated to temperature, thus, in general, showing more acute effects on cold-blooded animals (insects, fish, frogs...) over warm-blooded animals (mammals and birds):
- Permethrin is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic life in general, so extreme care must be taken when using products containing permethrin near water sources.
- Permethrin is also highly toxic to cats, and flea and tick-repellent formulas intended and labeled for (the more resistant) dogs may contain permethrin and cause feline permethrin toxicosis in cats.[5]
- Very high doses will have tangible neurotoxic effects on mammals and birds, including human beings.
Permethrin is listed as a "restricted use" substance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency[6] due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms.[7]
Due to high toxicity for aquatic life, permethrin and permethrin-contaminated water should be properly disposed of. Degradation is quick and should the chemical be disposed of far from any aquatic life, the negative effects would be minimized. In a non-industrial context, the contaminant may be placed in direct sunlight to induce photodegradation. Contaminated water exposed to direct sunlight will be cleared of the permethrin and any known pollutant subproducts after a few hours.
Human exposure
According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, permethrin "has low mammalian toxicity, is poorly absorbed through the skin and is rapidly inactivated by the body. Skin reactions have been uncommon."[8]
Excessive exposure to permethrin can cause nausea, headache, muscle weakness, excessive salivation, shortness of breath, and seizures. Worker exposure to the chemical can be monitored by measurement of the urinary metabolites, while severe overdosage may be confirmed by measurement of permethrin in serum or blood plasma.[9]
Permethrin does not present any notable genotoxicity or immunotoxicity in humans and farm animals, but is classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a likely human carcinogen, based on reproducible studies in which mice fed permethrin developed liver and lung tumors.[10] Carcinogenic action in nasal mucosal cells due to inhalation exposure is suspected, due to observed genotoxicity in human tissue samples, and in rat livers the evidence of increased pre-neoplastic lesions raises concern over oral exposure.[11][12]
Studies by Bloomquist et al., 2002[13] suggested a link of permethrin exposure to Parkinson's disease, including very small (per kg.) exposures:
- 2002 study - "Our studies have documented low-dose effects of permethrin, doses below one-one thousandth of a lethal dose for a mouse, with effects on those brain pathways [that are] involved in Parkinson's Disease [...] We have found effects consistent with a pre-parkinsonsian condition, but not yet full-blown parkinsonism." [14][15]
However a more recent 2007 study by the same researcher concluded that there was "little hazard to humans"
- 2007 study - "long-term, low-dose exposure to permethrin alone did not cause signs of neurotoxicity to striatal dopaminergic neural terminals, or enhance the effects of MPTP. We conclude that, under typical use conditions, permethrin poses little Parkinsonian hazard to humans, including when impregnated into clothing for control of biting flies"[16]
A 2006 study in South Africa, found residues of permethrin in breast milk, together with DDT, in an area that experienced DDT treatment for malaria control, as well as the use of pyrethroids in small-scale agriculture.[17]
Domestic animals
Permethrin is toxic to cats. Many cats die after being given flea treatments intended for dogs, or by contact with dogs having recently been treated with permethrin.[18]
See also
References
- ^ "Permethrin Hazards For Cats". ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center. http://www.vetprof.com/clientinfo/permethrincats.html.
- ^ Franny Syufy. "Cat Flea Control Products Warning". About.com. http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/permethrin.htm.
- ^ "Permethrin". Pmep.cce.cornell.edu. 16 April 1986. http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/metiram-propoxur/permethrin-ext.html. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- ^ R. H. Ian (1989). "Aquatic organisms and pyrethroids". Pesticide Science 27 (4): 429–457. doi:10.1002/ps.2780270408.
- ^ "report "Cats 'killed by flea treatment'"". BBC News. 10 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/7088397.stm. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- ^ Environmental Protection Agency. "Restricted Use Products (RUP) Report: Six Month Summary List". http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/rup/rup6mols.htm. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ Environmental Protection Agency. "Permethrin Facts (RED Fact Sheet)". http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm#uses. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
- ^ Kirby C. Stafford III (February 1999). "Tick Bite Prevention". Connecticut Department of Public Health. http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BCH/infectiousdise/tickborne/tick.htm#Permethrin.
- ^ R. Baselt, Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, 8th edition, Biomedical Publications, Foster City, CA, 2008, pp. 1215-1216.
- ^ Permethrin Facts, US EPA, June 2006.
- ^ M. Tisch, P. Schmezer, M. Faulde, A. Groh and H. Maier (2002). "Genotoxicity studies on permethrin, DEET and diazinon in primary human nasal mucosal cells". European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 259 (3): 150–153. doi:10.1007/s004050100406.
- ^ K. Hakoi, R. Cabral, T. Hoshiya, R. Hasegawa, T. Shirai and N. Ito (1992). "Analysis of carcinogenic activity of some pesticides in a medium-term liver bioassay in the rat". Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis, and Mutagenesis 12 (6): 269–276. doi:10.1002/tcm.1770120605.
- ^ [1] Neurotoxicology. 2002 Oct;23(4-5):537-44.
- ^ [2] BBC News, March 2006.
- ^ [3] Virginia Tech, March 2003.
- ^ Kou, J; Bloomquist, JR (2007). "Neurotoxicity in murine striatal dopaminergic pathways following long-term application of low doses of permethrin and MPTP.". Toxicol Lett 171 (3): 154–161. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2007.05.005. PMID 17597311.
- ^ Bouwman, H; Sereda, B; Meinhardt, HM (2006). "Simultaneous presence of DDT and pyrethroid residues in human breast milk from a malaria-endemic area in South Africa". Environmental Pollution 144 (3): 902–917. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2006.02.002. PMID 16564119.
- ^ Linnett, PJ (2008). "Permethrin toxicosis in cats". Australian Veterinary Journal 86 (1–2): 32–35. doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2007.00198.x. PMID 18271821.
External links
- Permethrin Technical Fact Sheet - National Pesticide Information Center
- Permethrin General Fact Sheet - National Pesticide Information Center
- Permethrin-treated Clothing Hot Topic - National Pesticide Information Center
- "Health Effects of Permethrin-Impregnated Army Battle-Dress Uniforms", National Research Council (1994, US)
- "Permethrin summary report", Committee for Veterinary Products, European Agency for the Evaluation of Medical Products (1998, EU)
- Pesticide link to Parkinson Disease
- Permethrin Pesticide Information Profile - Extension Toxicology Network
- Permethrin chemical data
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Oxford A-Z of Medicinal Drugs
Market University Press. © 2000, 2003, 2010 An A-Z of Medicinal Drugs. All rights reserved.
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Saunders Veterinary Dictionary
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
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