02733nas a2200541   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001600080653000900096653001900105653003300124653002500157653002600182653003000208653001100238653002200249653002100271653004200292653001100334653002300345653001200368653000900380653001600389653001000405653003900415653001700454653001600471653003200487653001700519653003000536653002600566653001700592653002200609100001700631700001400648700001800662700001900680700001600699245017500715856005100890300001100941490000700952050003200959520118600991022001402177       2003                            d  c2003 Dec10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAge Factors10aAged10aCohort Studies10aCommunicable Disease Control10aConfidence Intervals10aDisability Evaluation10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aFollow-Up Studies10aHealth Education10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNepal10aPeripheral Nervous System Diseases10aPrednisolone10aProbability10aProportional Hazards Models10aRisk Factors10aSeverity of Illness Index10aSocioeconomic Factors10aTime Factors10aTreatment Outcome1 aNicholls P G1 aCroft R P1 aRichardus J H1 aWithington S G1 aSmith W C S00aDelay in presentation, an indicator for nerve function status at registration and for treatment outcome--the experience of the Bangladesh Acute Nerve Damage Study cohort.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/74/4/34-9356  a349-560 v74  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>The objective of our research was to relate delay in presentation in the Bangladesh Acute Nerve Damage Study cohort to intake status and to treatment outcome. The Bangladesh Acute Nerve Damage Study (BANDS) is a prospective cohort study of 2664 consecutive newly registered patients at clinics run by the Danish-Bangladesh Mission Leprosy (DBLM) project in Nilphamari, northern Bangladesh. The 1-year intake began in April 1995. Three-year follow-up for PB cases and 5 years for MB cases was completed in 2001. Delay in presentation in the BANDS cohort is associated with increased signs of nerve function impairment at registration. Individuals presenting with no nerve impairment and maintaining nerve function to the end of follow-up had the shortest mean delays. Individuals presenting with impairment that did not improve during follow-up had the longest mean delays. Discussion focuses on the value of setting a threshold value defining early presentation. Since the WHO Grade 2 disability rate effectively sanctions lengthy delays where there is no impairment, an indicator relating directly to delay is preferred as an indicator for good practice in leprosy control.</p>  a0305-7518