Knowledge of household contacts of leprosy in the Primary Care in Ananindeua, state of Pará, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Sousa, Lorena Margalho
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Maranhão, Lorena Colares, Pires, Carla Andréa Avelar, Rodrigues, Danielle de Moraes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://www.rbmfc.org.br/rbmfc/article/view/448
• topic: Primary Health Care; Leprosy; Family Health Centre; Atención Primaria de la Salud; Lepra; Unidad de Salud Familiar; Atenção Primária à Saúde; Hanseníase; Unidade Saúde da Família; Sistema Único de Saúde; Atenção Primária à Saúde; Hanseníase

This experience report sought to identify the degree of knowledge of household contacts of leprosy patients treated and monitored in a Family Health Center in the municipality of Ananindeua, state of Pará. After home visits, application of a research protocol, and physical examination, no suspected case of leprosy was found; however, knowledge about the disease is still scarce, since only 20% of the contacts answered that leprosy is a “treatable skin disease”.  Regarding the representation of the disease for the interviewees, 20% reported having “fear of contracting the disease”. Half of the sample were aware of its mode of transmission and 10% were unable to give any answer; 60% of the contacts answered that leprosy should be treated at the health center with oral drugs. Those who had received advance directives were better informed about the disease (50%). A proper follow up of these contacts is needed, as well as a more effective health education.