02299nas a2200397 4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653002800080653001100108653004000119653002300159653002400182653001100206653001000217653001200227653000900239653001600248653001100264653002400275653001500299653000900314653003300323653002200356653002200378100001300400700001200413700001200425245005300437856004100490300001200531490000700543520133700550022001401887 1980 d c1980 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAllied Health Personnel10aFemale10aHospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over10aHospitals, General10aHospitals, Teaching10aHumans10aIndia10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNurses10aPersonnel, Hospital10aPhysicians10aRisk10aStudents, Health Occupations10aStudents, Medical10aStudents, Nursing1 aMathai R1 aRao P S1 aJob C K00aRisks of treating leprosy in a general hospital. uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v48n3a08.pdf a298-3020 v483 a

The Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, with 1208 beds, is situated in an endemic area in which the prevalence of leprosy among adults is 3.4%. Two percent of the beds are occupied by leprosy patients, and about 4000 are seen as outpatients per year. They share with other patients all medical, nursing, laboratory, and other services. The impact of these attitudes and practices on the incidence of leprosy among staff and students was studied. This hospital has 2665 staff, including housekeeping personnel, technicians, nurses, and doctors. There are 777 medical, nursing, and paramedical students. Every employee and student is screened prior to entry into this institution and subjected to routine annual examinations. Of those who at initial screening had no evidence of leprosy, 24 acquired the disease. Sixteen had tuberculoid, two borderline, and six indeterminate leprosy. The attack rate of 0.7% is significantly lower than the incidence or prevalence of leprosy in the area. Factors contributing to this low attack rate are discussed with particular reference to age, sex, educational background, residential status, and area of work. It is suggested that staff and students serving leprosy patients for whom no isolation is practiced do not carry any additional risk of acquiring clinical leprosy.

 a0148-916X