Small child MDT - please advise

Leprosy Mailing List – May 9^th , 2010

Ref.: Small child MDT - please advise
From: Saba Lambert, Addis Ababa , Ethiopia

---

Dear LML members,

I would be grateful if you could advice me on a case I have come across at ALERTHospital in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia .

The patient is a 2 year old child, weight 9kg, brought it for a check up by family. The father was diagnosed as a lepromatous case 7 months ago at our clinic with BI: 5,5,5. He is on his 7th month of MDT. They live in a rural environment about 8 hours travel from Addis.

The child was found to have a few nodules on the face, arms and buttocks. Her BI is 3,2,1.

The problem I have is with the treatment to give her. We have no low does medication inEthiopia and depend on the WHO packs of MDT (adult and child 10-14). For her 9kg she would need a monthly dose of Rifampicin 150mg, Clofazimine 25 mg and Dapsone 25mg, and a daily dose of dapsone 25mg and every other day dose of clofazimine 25mg. Form the child MDT pack, we have Rifampicin 150mg available but the dapsone and clofazimine come only in 50 mg tablets and blisters respectively.

Would you have any suggestions of how I can adjust her treatment?

I am grateful for you suggestions.

Dr Saba Lambert