We analysed the results of 4845 multibacillary (MB) patients being treated with multidrug treatment (MDT) in the Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Of these, 2309 (47.7%) patients were given an initial 14-day intensive therapy with rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone, followed by the WHO recommended pulse therapy. The rest of the cases were given only pulse therapy. The improvement in terms of bacteriological clearance and the proportion of cases declared released from treatment (RFT) was found to be significantly higher among patients treated with only pulse therapy. Clinic attendance was found to be better and more regular in patients treated with intensive therapy, and no relapses were seen with either therapy. The implications of these findings on the operational aspects of programme implementation are discussed.
BT - Leprosy review C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1479875?dopt=Abstract CN - Infolep Library - available DA - 1992 Dec DO - 10.5935/0305-7518.19920042 IS - 4 J2 - Lepr Rev LA - eng N2 -We analysed the results of 4845 multibacillary (MB) patients being treated with multidrug treatment (MDT) in the Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Of these, 2309 (47.7%) patients were given an initial 14-day intensive therapy with rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone, followed by the WHO recommended pulse therapy. The rest of the cases were given only pulse therapy. The improvement in terms of bacteriological clearance and the proportion of cases declared released from treatment (RFT) was found to be significantly higher among patients treated with only pulse therapy. Clinic attendance was found to be better and more regular in patients treated with intensive therapy, and no relapses were seen with either therapy. The implications of these findings on the operational aspects of programme implementation are discussed.
PY - 1992 SP - 350 EP - 7 T2 - Leprosy review TI - Initial intensive therapy for multibacillary leprosy patients--in retrospect. UR - http://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1992/v63n4/pdf/v63n4a07.pdf VL - 63 SN - 0305-7518 ER -