01614nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260001000042100001100052700001500063700001500078700001100093700001400104700001300118700002900131700001100160700001400171245007700185856005200262300001000314490000700324520102700331022001401358       2021                            d  bLepra1 aPost E1 aBrandsma W1 aWagenaar I1 aAlam K1 aShetty VP1 aHusain S1 aRosita Sigit Prakoeswa C1 aShah M1 aTamang KB00aDelay in Leprosy Diagnosis — A multi-center, multi-country Asian study  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/92/1/20-20338  a29-370 v923 aDelay in reporting for possible leprosy diagnosis and a delay in making the diagnosis of leprosy may result in unnecessary complications.
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Objective:<br>
Which factors contribute to late reporting and a missed diagnosis of leprosy?
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Method:<br>
A questionnaire, involving 1243 newly diagnosed patients, was used to explore reasons for possible delay in diagnosis and start of treatment; the patients were being managed in six projects in four leprosy endemic countries, and needed treatment for nerve function impairment,
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Results/Conclusions:<br>
Delays in reporting for diagnosis and in establishing the diagnosis are multifactorial and differ between the research sites. Factors contributing to the delay are person and program related, including concealment of suspected disease, perhpas because of shame, accessibility of the clinic, and expertise within the diagnostic services. They need to be addressed in different ways to minimize delay thereby reducing risks for complications.   a2162-8807