Pages 321 - 327 Volume 90, Issue 3
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Individuals who are missed during household contact examinations
Cynthia Ruth Butlin
  Cynthia Ruth Butlin
Affiliation
The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, Peterborough, England
The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Correspondence to: Cynthia Ruth Butlin, 42 Old Drive, Polegate, East Sussex BN 26 5ES, UK (e-mail: drbutlin@yahoo.com)
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a,d,*
Peter Nicholls
  Peter Nicholls
Affiliation
The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, Peterborough, England
Independent Statistician, England
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a,b
Bob Bowers
  Bob Bowers
Affiliation
Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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c
Suren Singh
  Suren Singh
Affiliation
The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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d
Khorshed Alam
  Khorshed Alam
Affiliation
The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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d
Introduction:

During household contacts surveillance, as part of leprosy control, many individuals resident in the household may miss their examinations. This may occur if they are absent when the health worker visits the home, because they have permanently left the household or if they joined the household after diagnosis of the index cases, so were not listed as contacts.

 Methods:

We investigated the size of this problem in the context of a study of new case detection amongst household contacts (HHCs).

 Results:

During the Routine Surveillance Period (RSP), which was 2 years for PB index households and 5 years for MB index households, 3.6% HHCs were absent at every Examination, 1.5% HHCs left, and incomers increased the number of HHCs by 22%. The demographic profiles of absentees, leavers and incomers differed from that of HHCs assessed. Absentees and most leavers could not be reviewed. Only 0.15% of incomers were diagnosed as new cases of leprosy.

 Conclusion:

Staff undertaking household contact examinations (HCEs) should not forget these groups who need to be advised about their risk of developing leprosy, albeit a low risk.
Cite this article
Cynthia Ruth Butlin, Peter Nicholls, Bob Bowers, Suren Singh, Khorshed Alam;
Individuals who are missed during household contact examinations; Leprosy Review; 2019; 90; 3; 321-327; DOI: 10.47276/lr.90.3.321
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DOI: 10.47276/lr.90.3.321

articleview.journal_title: Leprosy Review
articleview.publisher: British Leprosy Relief Association
articleview.publisher_location: Colchester, UK
articleview.article_date_pre accepted on 26 June 2019 and articleview.pub_on 01 September 2019
© Lepra 2019
LEPROSY
Leprosy Review
0305-7518
British Leprosy Relief Association
Colchester, UK
32-1327
0305-7518/19/064053+07
10.47276/lr.90.3.321
Original Papers
Individuals who are missed during household contact examinations
ButlinCynthia Ruth
ad
NichollsPeter
ab
BowersBob
c
SinghSuren
d
AlamKhorshed
d
a
The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, Peterborough, England
b
Independent Statistician, England
c
Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
d
The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Correspondence to: Cynthia Ruth Butlin, 42 Old Drive, Polegate, East Sussex BN 26 5ES, UK (e-mail: )
01092019
90
3
321
327
26062019
© Lepra
2019
Introduction:
During household contacts surveillance, as part of leprosy control, many individuals resident in the household may miss their examinations. This may occur if they are absent when the health worker visits the home, because they have permanently left the household or if they joined the household after diagnosis of the index cases, so were not listed as contacts.
Methods:
We investigated the size of this problem in the context of a study of new case detection amongst household contacts (HHCs).
Results:
During the Routine Surveillance Period (RSP), which was 2 years for PB index households and 5 years for MB index households, 3.6% HHCs were absent at every Examination, 1.5% HHCs left, and incomers increased the number of HHCs by 22%. The demographic profiles of absentees, leavers and incomers differed from that of HHCs assessed. Absentees and most leavers could not be reviewed. Only 0.15% of incomers were diagnosed as new cases of leprosy.
Conclusion:
Staff undertaking household contact examinations (HCEs) should not forget these groups who need to be advised about their risk of developing leprosy, albeit a low risk.
LeprosyHousehold contact examinationsNew case detectionAbsenteesLeaversIncomers