Uniform multidrug therapy for leprosy - time for a rethink?

The ultimate test of efficacy of drug regimens for leprosy is the relapse rate, and in this era of evidence-based medicine, we should be willing to trust the evidence, especially when it can be triangulated with information from several independent sources. The limitations of this study are importan...

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Published inIndian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994) Vol. 144; no. 4; pp. 499 - 501
Main Author Saunderson, Paul R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.10.2016
Scientific Scholar
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
Subjects
Antibiotic prophylaxis
Care and treatment
Drug Therapy, Combination
Evidence-based medicine
Humans
Laboratories
Leprostatic Agents
Leprosy
Methods
Patient outcomes
Brazil
Bangladesh
China
India
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Summary:The ultimate test of efficacy of drug regimens for leprosy is the relapse rate, and in this era of evidence-based medicine, we should be willing to trust the evidence, especially when it can be triangulated with information from several independent sources. The limitations of this study are important: there was no control group, no laboratory tests of initial bacillary load were done, the intended sample size of 2500 MB cases was not reached and perhaps most importantly, the follow up of five years could be regarded as too short, with most relapses expected to occur after that period. While there is resistance to this change from many quarters including physicians involved in the care of those affected by leprosy, we need to look again at the real goal of leprosy control, which is to minimize disability caused by leprosy, through early case detection, adequate chemotherapy and appropriate management of complications.
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ISSN:0971-5916
DOI:10.4103/0971-5916.200884