02155nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653000900065653002200074653002800096653001900124653001000143653001200153653002600165653003000191653001100221653001100232653002300243653001200266653001800278653000900296653001600305653002400321653002600345653001200371100001100383700001000394700001100404700000900415245006000424300001000484490000700494520124200501022001401743       2011                            d  c2011 Jan10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aCardiovascular Diseases10aCause of Death10aChina10aDapsone10aDrug Hypersensitivity10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aLiver Failure10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRenal Insufficiency10aRetrospective Studies10aSuicide1 aShen J1 aLiu M1 aZhou M1 aLi W00aCauses of death among active leprosy patients in China.  a57-600 v503 a<p>We analyzed the causes of death among active leprosy patients in China, to better understand the disease and improve the quality of services, by performing a retrospective study involving 24 provinces of China. Information about patients with active leprosy who were not clinically cured and died between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2005, was collected by professionals at county levels. A total of 524 deaths were analyzed. The leading cause of death was suicide. There were 86 patients (16%) who died at a mean of 21 ± 19 months after starting multi-drug therapy (MDT). The second and third leading causes of death were cardiovascular disease and organ failure associated with advanced age, respectively. Two hundred and twenty-one patients (42%) died within one year of beginning MDT. The second month of MDT was the riskiest for newly treated patients; approximately 20% of patients succumbed to liver failure, 33% to dapsone (diaminodiphenylsulfone/DDS) allergy, and 27% to renal insufficiency during this period. Among 143 deaths related to leprosy, 37 (26%) occurred within three months of starting MDT. We recommend that newly diagnosed patients should be provided with no more than two months of MDT blister packs.</p>  a1365-4632