(LML) Good practice in dealing with leprosy patients

Leprosy Mailing List – January 17,  2017

Ref.:    (LML) Good practice in dealing with leprosy patients

From:  Ajit P, Mumbai, India

__________________________________________________________

Respected Sir,

I would like to share a few things I was fortunate to learn while dealing with leprosy and dermatology patients.

 
In my checklist while examining patients and taking history. I have added three more things:
- I routinely discuss about internet. Guys who have smartphones often search indiscriminately on net, see some pictures and get frightened or are misinformed or try some self remedies. In Bandra, West Mumbai, where I practice I get Hansen patients from poor socioeconomic class but some of them have internet enabled smartphones. I also tell which websites are reliable.
- I routinely discuss myths and debunk them.
- I routinely discuss alternative medicine. As guys are attracted to natural therapies and may leave proven effective therapy and take alternative medicine. I warn them of the dangers.
"Complications are best managed by anticipation"- Bailey&love"s  Short Practice of Surgery.

One more practice that I employ for trophic ulcer prevention is to tell the patient that loss of sensation often persists and so you won't get pain and hence won't be aware of minor injuries. To prevent I tell them to see their hands feet and other insensitive areas under light every day before sleeping or after bath and check if there are any minor cuts. Those who have cell phones, I make them put an alarm or reminder for this in front of me.

"I was pricked poked and probed but not touched" Mother Teresa. It is not just sufficient to tell patients that leprosy is not spread by touch. One must actually touch the patient with ungloved hand to emphasize this.

Dr Ajit

Dermatologist, Bandra, West Mumbai, India

___________________________________________________________________

LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder

LML blog link: http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.it/

Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com