- © 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
In their review of the safety implications of DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) for children and pregnant and lactating women, Gideon Koren and associates1 did not mention the results of animal trials involving dermal application of this repellent.
Abdel-Rahman and colleagues2 reported diffuse neuronal cell death in the brains of adult rats after 6 days of daily dermal application of DEET. They concluded that motor deficits and dysfunction of learning and memory could ensue from these changes. Similarly, Abou-Donia and collaborators3 observed impaired sensorimotor performance in rats at 30, 45 and 60 days after 60 days of daily dermal application of DEET. The impossibility of such studies in humans necessitates consideration of these data in any risk analysis.
It appears that the review by Koren and associates1 deals only with acute adverse reactions and that no long-term controlled trials measuring neurologic function in humans after dermal application of DEET have been done.
Robert D. Nevin General Practitioner Lockwood Clinic Toronto, Ont.