Risk factors for physical disability at diagnosis of 19,283 new cases of leprosy

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors for physical disability at the moment of leprosy diagnosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective, descriptive and exploratory investigation of 19,283 patients with leprosy, registered in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 2000 and 2005. RESULTS: The risk of Grade 2 disability was 16.5-fold higher in patients with lepromatous leprosy, and 12.8-fold higher in patients presenting the borderline form, compared to patients presenting indeterminate leprosy. The occurrence of more than one thickened nerve increased the odds of a patient developing Grade 2 disability, 8.4-fold. Age <15 years, multibacillary leprosy and no formal education presented 7.0, 5.7 and 5.6 odds of developing physical disability, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These factors should be considered as strong prognostic indicators in the development of physical disability at diagnosis.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Moschioni,Cristiane, Antunes,Carlos Maurício de Figueiredo, Grossi,Maria Aparecida Faria, Lambertucci,José Roberto
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT 2010
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822010000100005
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!