Rising burden of smear positive leprosy cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India.

Dr. StutiKansra; Dr.Pushpa Devi; Dr Kanwardeep Singh; Dr Sapna Soneja

Volume : IV, Issue : IX, September - 2015

Rising burden of smear positive leprosy cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India.

Dr. Stutikansra, Dr. Pushpa Devi, Dr Kanwardeep Singh, Dr Sapna Soneja

Abstract :

Objective: To study rising burden of smear positive leprosy cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India from 2012– 2014. Methods: Patients with clinical suspicion of leprosy, attending Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, from January 2012 to December 2014 were referred to the Department of Microbiology, GMC, Amritsar where cases were confirmed by slit skin smear examination. Smears were prepared from eight sites, stained with modified Zeihl Neelsen stain and examined under oil immersion to look for acid fast bacilli (AFB). Results: Out of 235 clinically suspected patients, 62 were diagnosed as smear positive for acid fast bacilli. A rise in number of smear positive cases was observed from 21.2% in 2012 to 29.9% in 2014. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to take up measures to keep a check on leprosy by timely surveillance, easy availability of multidrug therapy at all medical centers in India so that prompt treatment can be started to prevent damage to the nerves and prevent disabilities.