Causes of death among active leprosy patients in China

We analyzed the causes of death among active leprosy patients in China, to better understand the disease and improve the quality of services, by performing a retrospective study involving 24 provinces of China. Information about patients with active leprosy who were not clinically cured and died between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2005, was collected by professionals at county levels. A total of 524 deaths were analyzed. The leading cause of death was suicide. There were 86 patients (16%) who died at a mean of 21 ± 19 months after starting multi-drug therapy (MDT). The second and third leading causes of death were cardiovascular disease and organ failure associated with advanced age, respectively. Two hundred and twenty-one patients (42%) died within one year of beginning MDT. The second month of MDT was the riskiest for newly treated patients; approximately 20% of patients succumbed to liver failure, 33% to dapsone (diaminodiphenylsulfone/DDS) allergy, and 27% to renal insufficiency during this period. Among 143 deaths related to leprosy, 37 (26%) occurred within three months of starting MDT. We recommend that newly diagnosed patients should be provided with no more than two months of MDT blister packs.