Deps, Patricia D; Guedes, Bruno VS; Bucker Filho, Jander; Andreatta, Matheus K; Marcari, Rafael S; Rodrigues, Laura C; (2006) Delay in the diagnosis of leprosy in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória, Brazil. Leprosy review, 77 (1). pp. 41-47. ISSN 0305-7518 https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/11825
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https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/11825
Abstract
This paper reports on the time between the onset of the first lesion and diagnosis, defined as delay, and is based on results obtained by interviewers from a survey carried out amongst 450 leprosy patients in a leprosy endemic area in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória (MRV), state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. The mean age at diagnosis in all cases was 41.47 years and the median was 42.5 years. The mean age at diagnosis in MB (42.9 years) was greater than in PB (38.5 years). The mean of the delay in all cases was 25.25 months, median 12 months and range 0-360 months. The mean of the delay in MB (27.2 months) was greater than in PB (21.3 months). The results of this study suggest that although the delay in leprosy diagnosis in this region of Brazil was not too long when it was compared with other studies in endemic countries, it is still a problem: 65.4% of patients were diagnosed after a delay of 6 months. The Leprosy Control Programme in this state needs more effective health education in order to reduce the current period of delay before diagnosis.
Item Type | Article |
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Keywords | Impairments, experience, future, china, start |
Faculty and Department | Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health > Dept of Infectious Disease Epidemiology |
Research Centre | Neglected Tropical Diseases Network |
PubMed ID | 16715689 |
ISI | 237489200006 |