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Friday, May 24, 2013
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, May 24, 2013
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Pharmacy and Medications |
Pregnancy and pinworms04/05/2007 |
Is it perfectly safe to usy pyrantel pamoate to treat infestation of pinworms during pregnancy, and if not, what is the best way to treat it.
Pyrantel pamoate is considered the drug of choice for the treatment of pinworm. However, it does have a U.S. FDA pregnancy category C, which is defined as:
- Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus (teratogenic or embryocidal or other) and there are no controlled studies in women or studies in women and animals are not available. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
There has not been sufficient clinical experience to establish the safety of pyrantel pamoate in general during pregnancy. Animal studies show no evidence of harm to the fetus among rats or rabbits.
According to The World Health Organization (WHO), pregnant women with pinworm infestation are considered to be a high-risk group. The WHO recommends that they be individually offered treatment in order to avoid complications from the infestation, which may include anemia (low red blood cells) and organ damage. Evaluating the risk versus the benefit, a single-dose oral treatment would be appropriate in such cases. It is always recommended that pregnant women consult their Obstetrician/Gynecologists before taking any medication to ensure their safety.
The whole family may need treatment. The following are guidelines to help prevent or reduce recontamination:
1. On the day of treatment, do the following:
- Thoroughly clean your house.
- Machine wash sheets, clothing, and dishes at the hottest water setting.
- Change all towels.
- Cut and clean the fingernails of those who are infected.
2. Everyone in your household--especially those who are infected--should wash hands well after using the toilet and before touching food.
3. At least once a day, wash the anal area. Do this under a shower, if possible.
4. When using public toilet seats, cover them with clean paper first.
5. Try to keep children from scratching the anus. Have them keep their fingers away from the nose and mouth.
6. Change sheets, pillowcases, towels, and nightwear often. Machine wash them on the hottest water setting.
7. Change underwear daily.
8. Have children wear snug cotton underpants.
Submitted by Kim Furst, Pharm D Candidate, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
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Carmen M Hadley, RPh, CSPI Clinical Instructor College of Pharmacy The Ohio State University |
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