PERFIL DOS PACIENTES EM TRATAMENTO CLÁSSICO E ALTERNATIVO PARA HANSENÍASE ACOMPANHADOS EM HOSPITAL UNIVERSITÁRIO DO NORDESTE BRASILEIRO

Abstract

Since it is an endemic disease in Brazil and has the potential to cause irreversible physical disability, despite its well-established treatment in the literature and pfreely provided through SUS, leprosy is considered a public health problem. Furthermore, this infectious disease with skin and neurological involvement is one of the twenty Neglected Tropical Diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO) and data from 2019 show almost 28 thousand new cases in our country. The present study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients undergoing classic and alternative treatment for leprosy treated at the Lauro Wanderley University Hospital. Thus, a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was developed based on data from medical records of patients treated at the HULW dermatology outpatient clinic between 2017 and 2023. A sample of 38 patients was obtained. About epidemiological characteristics, there was no predominance of sex, the average age was 48.45 years (SD=19.32), the main occupation was retired and the largest number of cases came from the capital João Pessoa. As for clinical characteristics, the predominant operational classification was multibacillary with 78.95% and the most common clinical classification was Virchowian, 50% of patients had a leprosy reaction and the most identified complication was hypo/anesthesia in the hands and feet. There was 94.74% adherence to multidrug therapy, requiring an alternative regimen in 6 cases due to the development of hemolytic anemia. It was also possible to verify the quality of care provided by level of stage 2 physical disability at diagnosis in 7.89% and at least one sputum smear test in 89.74%. The data obtained contributes to understanding the profile of the population served by the service and planning strategies aimed at improving care.