Biomaterial Database

Management of household contacts of leprosy patients. 1978

G A Filice, and D W Fraser

We describe an approach to the management of household contacts of leprosy patients and the rationale on which it is based. Initially, all household contacts should be interviewed and examined for symptoms and signs consistent with leprosy and appropriate diagnostic measures taken. Contacts of untreated lepromatous and dimorphous (borderline) leprosy patients are at relatively high risk of disease and should be examined annually for at least 5 years. Dapsone prophylaxis has been shown to prevent secondary cases in contacts up to 25 years old and should be used in these and possibly in older persons. Insufficient data exist to support a recommendation for the use of BCG at present.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007918	Leprosy	A chronic granulomatous infection caused by MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE. The granulomatous lesions are manifested in the skin, the mucous membranes, and the peripheral nerves. Two polar or principal types are lepromatous and tuberculoid.	Hansen's Disease,Hansen Disease
D010919	Placebos	Any dummy medication or treatment. Although placebos originally were medicinal preparations having no specific pharmacological activity against a targeted condition, the concept has been extended to include treatments or procedures, especially those administered to control groups in clinical trials in order to provide baseline measurements for the experimental protocol.	Sham Treatment
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D003622	Dapsone	A sulfone active against a wide range of bacteria but mainly employed for its actions against MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE. Its mechanism of action is probably similar to that of the SULFONAMIDES which involves inhibition of folic acid synthesis in susceptible organisms. It is also used with PYRIMETHAMINE in the treatment of malaria. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p157-8)	Diaminodiphenylsulfone,Sulfonyldianiline,4,4'-Diaminophenyl Sulfone,Avlosulfone,DADPS,Dapsoderm-X,Dapson-Fatol,Diaphenylsulfone,Disulone,Sulfona,4,4' Diaminophenyl Sulfone,Sulfone, 4,4'-Diaminophenyl
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001500	BCG Vaccine	An active immunizing agent and a viable avirulent attenuated strain of MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS, which confers immunity to mycobacterial infections. It is used also in immunotherapy of neoplasms due to its stimulation of antibodies and non-specific immunity.	Bacillus Calmette Guerin Vaccine,Calmette Guerin Bacillus Vaccine,Calmette's Vaccine,Calmette Vaccine,Calmettes Vaccine,Vaccine, BCG,Vaccine, Calmette's
D012306	Risk	The probability that an event will occur. It encompasses a variety of measures of the probability of a generally unfavorable outcome.	Relative Risk,Relative Risks,Risk, Relative,Risks,Risks, Relative