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Dapsone compliance in an urban field project.
Leprosy in India
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Many leprosy patients on dapsone monotherapy show irregular drug consumption, even with regular clinic visits. Urine analysis revealed 28% non-compliance, highlighting a need for improved urban leprosy treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Dapsone is a primary treatment for leprosy.
- Irregular dapsone consumption is a known issue in leprosy management.
- Limited data exists on urban leprosy treatment compliance, especially within Self-Employment (SET) programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess dapsone drug compliance among leprosy patients in urban settings.
- To evaluate the dapsone/creatinine ratio in urine samples as an indicator of compliance.
- To compare compliance rates between patients in different clinic settings and project areas.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of surprise urine samples from 294 leprosy patients (53% smear-positive).
- Patients attended either slum clinics within a SET project area or general hospital clinics outside the area.
- Dapsone/creatinine ratio was used to determine drug consumption regularity.
Main Results:
- 68% of patients (201/294) were regular dapsone consumers, while 28% (82/294) were irregular.
- Regularity was observed in 67% of smear-positive cases.
- No significant difference in compliance was found between patients inside and outside the SET project area, or between slum and general hospital clinics.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of urban leprosy patients exhibit irregular dapsone intake.
- Intensive follow-up or clinic setting did not significantly impact drug compliance.
- Utilizing general hospital facilities and promoting voluntary reporting may improve urban leprosy treatment adherence.