LEPROSY
Leprosy Review
0305-7518
British Leprosy Relief Association
Colchester, UK
20-9218
0305-7518/13/064053+10
10.47276/lr.84.3.209
Original Papers
Intolerance to Leprosy Multi-Drug Therapy: More Common in Women?
DupnikKathryn Margaret
aCardosoFernando José Ramos
bde MacêdoAna Luiza Braga Brito
cde SousaIgor Leonardo Cardoso
cLeiteRenata Cristina Barros
ca
Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
b
Giselda Trigueiro Hospital, Natal, RN, Brazil
c
Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
d
National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT/DT), Natal, RN, Brazil
e
Institute of Tropical Medicine of Rio Grande do Norte, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil
f
Post-graduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Correspondence to: Mauricio Lisboa Nobre, Hospital Giselda Trigueiro, Rua Conego Monte, 110, Quintas, Natal, RN 59037-170, Brazil (Tel: +55-84-3615-5454; e-mail: nobreml@gmail.com)
01092013
84
3
209
218
01102013
© Lepra
2013
Objectives:
The objective was to characterise and identify potential risk factors for intolerance to multi-drug leprosy therapy (MDT) which prompted a medication change in a leprosy referral centre in northeastern Brazil.
Design:
A retrospective chart review of leprosy patients treated at a state referral centre for leprosy in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil was completed. Chart review focus was on adverse effects necessitating modification of MDT regimen.
Results:
Six hundred and twelve records were reviewed with detection of 91 (14.8%) adverse effects with associated change in MDT regimen. The most common recorded causes of medication intolerance were anemia (8.7%), headache (4.2%), cyanosis (1.8%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (1.6%). Both female gender (OR = 2.63) and age less than 42 years old (OR = 2.7) remained risk factors for MDT intolerance in a multivariate model including gender, age, and WHO regimen type. With intolerance due to anemia as the outcome, female gender (OR = 2.36) and age less than 42 years (OR = 1.86) were associated.
Conclusions:
In this study, female gender and younger age were associated with greater risk of medication intolerance and medication intolerance related to anemia. These findings have important operational implications for drug intolerance monitoring during therapy for leprosy.