Monitoring dapsone self-administration in a multidrug therapy programme

Abstract

In the ALERT Leprosy Control Programme implementation of multidrug therapy (MDT) started in January 1983. The majority of the patients had recieved dapsone monotherapy prior to MDT. To assess the intake of dapsone in the MDT programme the urine spot test is done in all the paucibacillary patients during the 4th and 6th supervised treatment day; with the multibacillary patients during the 4th, 6th, 12th, 18th and 24th supervised treatment. Results of the 4th and 6th treatment round are presented and discussed. Of the 721 patients tested the overall percentage of patients with a positive test was 90.9%. Patients with a previous duration of treatment of more than 3 years were found to be significantly less compliant than others. Determinants like age, sex, disability grade or having a leprosy contact in the family did not influence compliance in a significant way.