EVALUACIÓN DE CALIDAD DE VIDA EN PACIENTES CON REACCIONES LEPRÓTICAS. CAMAGÜEY, CUBA

Leprosy is a disease riddled with myths and inaccurate information. Health-related quality of life has occupied
a relevant place in improving the care of these patients. A descriptive observational study was carried out to
evaluate quality of life in 22 patients diagnosed with leprosy who were in a reactional state. For this, the General
Cuban Questionnaire on Quality of Life in Dermatology was used, prepared in the Dermatology Service of the
Central Military Hospital “Dr. Carlos J Finlay”, which groups its items according to the dimensions recognized by
the World Health Organization that include physical health, psychological health, functional health, and social
dimension. It was found that the majority of patients with leprotic reactions were in the ages of 40 years and over,
with a predominance of males. All the patients presented general malaise as a symptom. Leprotic reactions were
the cause of disability in more than a quarter of the patients. Good quality of life was found only in 45% of the
cases. The most affected dimensions were physical and psychological health. An impairment of the quality of life
was demonstrated in this condition by this study.