A Hospital Based Cross Sectional Study to Assess the Socio Demographic Profile of the Patients with Leprosy

Background: Leprosy is a common infectious disease causing as much social problem as a medical one. It leads to variety of disabilities resulting from nerve damage, immunological reactions and bacillary infiltration. Among communicable diseases, it remains a leading cause of peripheral neuropathy and disability worldwide. Objective: To assess the Socio demographic profile of the leprosy patients attending the clinic at Shri B M Patil Medical College Hospital. Methodology: A hospital-based, cross sectional study to detect deformities/disabilities in patients with leprosy was conducted in the department of Dermatology Venereology and Leprosy of B.L.D.E.U’s Shri. B.M. Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Vijayapur, Karnataka. One hundred and forty six cases were included in the study. The study duration was from November 2014 to September 2016. Results: Among the 146 patients enrolled in the study, 85 were male and 61 were female, 10 were children, with a mean age of 38.1(±15.6) years. The mean duration of disease was 2.6 (±4.1) years. Majority of the patients belonged to lower socioeconomic (S-E) status (n=100, 68.5%) followed by middle (n=46, 31.5%). Most common type was multibacillary in 133 (91.1%) patients followed by paucibacillary in 13 (8.9%) patients. Out of 146 patients, 56 (38.4%) had the disease for 1-2 years, followed by 39 (26.7%) patients, whose disease duration was less than one year. Conclusion: Out of 146 patients, 56 (38.4%) had the disease for 1-2 years, followed by 39 (26.7%) patients, whose disease duration was less than one year