A Comparative Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Dronapushpi-Panasapatra Lepa Against Sigrupunarnavadi Lepa in the Management of Satapadi-Damsa

Centipedes are venomous arthropods of the class Chilopoda, with Scolopendra being the most common genus causing human envenomation in India. In Ayurveda, centipede bite is described as Satapadi damsa and classified under Agneya keeta in Jangama visha. Clinical presentation is predominantly local, characterized by severe pain, swelling, erythema, and burning sensation, while systemic manifestations are uncommon and prognosis is generally favorable with appropriate management. Kriyakoumudi, a Keraleeya visha chikitsa grantha, describes Dronapushpi-Panasapatra lepa as a simple and cost-effective formulation for Satapadi visha. The present study evaluated it against the commonly practiced Sigrupunarnavadi lepa. A comparative clinical trial was conducted among eligible patients diagnosed with Satapadi damsa. Participants were divided into two groups: Group A received Sigrupunarnavadi lepa and Group B received Dronapushpi- Panasapatra lepa, applied locally three times daily for two consecutive days. The third day was reserved for observation and assessment was performed on the fourth day. Dasanga agada was administered internally as common medication in both groups. Pain, swelling, erythema, and burning sensation were assessed using mean score changes and analyzed using Friedman's and Mann-Whitney U tests. Both groups showed statistically significant improvement in all cardinal features, indicating effectiveness of both treatments. No statistically significant difference was observed in overall clinical outcome (U=190, Z=0.59, p=0.553). Thus, Dronapushpi-Panasapatra lepa may provide a clinical response comparable to Sigrupunarnavadi lepa; however, equivalence or non-inferiority cannot be established from the present analysis.