Does the use of calamine or antihistamine provide symptomatic relief from pruritus in children with varicella zoster infection?

Citation Study group Study type (level of evidence) Outcome Key result Comments Englisch and Bauer 1 128 paediatric patients (age 1-6 years) with chickenpox randomised to DMM 0.1 mg/kg/day or 0.05 mg/kg/day or placebo (1/3 of the dose given at am 2/3 given at pm) Duration of treatment: 7 days Double-blind randomised controlled trial, multicentre study (level 1b) Change in ISS from baseline ISS composed of severity of itching during daytime rated on 4-point scale by parents ("no itching" to "itching is dominant") and disturbance of sleep during the first 8 days of the illness DMM groups showed significant reduction of ISS compared with placebo group No significant difference between the two different DMM dosages Secondary outcome measures: better appetite and less sleep disturbance in DMM groups (significance not calculated), no difference regarding skin superinfection All patients additionally received topical treatment (astringent lotion-active ingredient: tannin) Process of randomisation not described Methods of blinding not described Only minor adverse events (tiredness in 2 cases), no serious adverse events DMM, dimethindene maleate; ISS, itching severity score.