02280nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653001000074653000900084653001100093653001100104653002100115653001100136653001000147653001200157653000900169653001600178653003800194653003000232653001700262100001300279700001100292700001400303245011200317856007600429300001000505490000700515050001600522520137800538022001401916       2012                            d  c2012 Apr-Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aFemale10aHabits10aHealth Education10aHumans10aIndia10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPatient Acceptance of Health Care10aReferral and Consultation10aTime Factors1 aSamraj A1 aKaki S1 aRao P S S00aHelp-seeking habits of untreated leprosy patients reporting to a referral hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India.  uhttp://www.ijl.org.in/april-june2012/1%20-%20A%20Samraj%20(123-129).pdf  a123-90 v84  aSAMRAJ 20123 a<p>In a potentially disabling disease like leprosy, the need for prompt diagnosis and start of treatment cannot be over-emphasized. With the advent of massive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) strategies and easy accessibility of free multi drug therapy (MDT), delay in treatment is more dependent on patient initiative and subsequent health seeking habits. To study the factors contributing to delay, a random sample of 86 new untreated leprosy patients presenting to The Leprosy Mission Community Hospital, Naini, Allahabad during 2011 were interviewed in depth with the help of a check list. 61% of patients had disability at first presentation. The most common first symptom was a hypopigmented patch. Mean delay was found to be 25.9 months. Reasons for delay varied from ignorance aboutthe symptoms and signs of the disease, monitoring of symptoms in the hope that they would disappear by themselves and lack of vigilance among local medical practitioners in the lower levels of the health system. The authors discuss the typical sequence of events that contributed to delay at each stage before finally presenting at a referral hospital. It is necessary to outline recommendations to address delay in terms of intense health education campaigns, mass communication strategies and developing a high index of suspicion among primary health care givers.</p>  a0254-9395