<b>Characterization of cases of hansen,s disease reported to the 14th health district of Paraná after a program decentralization</b> - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v8i1.7767

Abstract

This was a descriptive study involving 61 cases of Hansen’s disease notified in the Program of Control of Hansen’s disease in the 14th Regional of Health of Paraná The purpose was to describe the clinical and operational characteristics and the distribution of the cases notified in 2002 according to gender and degree of literacy. Data was obtained from the National Surveillance Diseases System - SINAN during the month of May of 2004. For analysis of the reality the variables used were: gender, education, way the cases were admitted, operational classification, clinical form, evaluation of physical incapacities in the diagnosis, exam of contacts, bacilloscopy, percentile and coefficient of detection of cases diagnosed by municipal district, and clinical evolution. The predominance of illiteracy was observed among the women (37.5%), and the majority of cases were classified as multibacillary; however the percentile of people with physical incapacities was of 14.7%. There were errors in the classification of the variables, low frequency of clinical exams of the contacts (45.9%), and the percentile of cure among the diagnosed new cases was very low (18.0%). It was concluded that the municipal districts need to make efforts on the accomplishment of diagnosis, classification, treatment and attendance of the cases according to the recommendations of Ministry of Health, being considered that the decentralization of the program occurred recently.