THE DISABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF LEPROSY PATIENTS MANAGED IN GIA LAI PROVINCE UNTIL JUNE 2023

Abstract

Objectives: To describe of disability of leprosy patients managed in Gia Lai province until June 2023.

Subjects: 422 leprosy patients managed and treated in Gia Lai province.

Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional study,

Result: The disability rate of leprosy patients is 88.9%. Most leprosy patients have grade II disability (87.2%). The majority of leprosy patients had pre-treatment disability, accounting for 71.4% in grade I disabled patients and 82.9% in grade II disabled patients. The disability rate in the face, hands, feet and coordination was 26.5%, 69.7%, 66.4% and 57.8%, respectively.

Common hand disability is dry palm skin (23.7%) and simple loss of sensation (17.5%). Other hand disabilities were loss of sensation with sores/injury (2.8%), supine hand (2.1%) and drooping hand (4.3%). The distribution of upper hand disabilities in the MB and PB groups was not statistically significant (with p > 0.05). Common disabilities in the thumb are stiff trigger (26.1%) and slight amputation (19.2%).

Common foot disabilities are dry soles (22.3%) and slight toe amputation (23.9%). The rate of patients with cavernous ulcers in our study was 16.8%.

The most common rate of facial disability is the inability to count the fingers when 6m away (10.9%), cloudy eyes (10.7%), red eyes (9.5%), eyes unable to close (9.2%) and eyebrow loss (9%).

The rate of grade II disability in the group of patients over 60 years old, the elderly group without working, the illiterate group and the group with disease duration > 10 years. The difference was statistically significant (with p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The disability rate in leprosy patients in Gia Lai until June 2023 is high, most of the patients have combined disability. Common disability is dry skin on palms and feet, loss of sensation and trigger finger, cloudy eyes. The rate of grade II disability in the group of patients over 60 years old, the elderly group without working, the illiterate group and the group with disease duration > 10 years. The difference was statistically significant (with p < 0.05).