01993nas a2200229 4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653001200054653002400066653001700090653001600107100001600123700002100139700001400160700002100174245006700195856006500262300001200327490000700339520140300346022001401749 2017 d10aleprosy10aNursing10aPrimary Health Care10aDrug Therapy10aCombination1 aRibeiro MDA1 aSilva Castillo I1 aSilva JCA1 aBrito Oliveira S00a[The nurse's view on leprosy treatment in primary health care] uhttp://periodicos.unifor.br/RBPS/article/viewFile/6349/pdf_1 a221-2280 v303 a

Objective: To evaluate Primary Health Care (PHC) nurses’ view on leprosy treatment. Methods: Qualitative descriptive study conducted with nine nurses working in the municipality of Cocal, Piauí, Brazil, from January to March 2016. Data were collected using guiding questions about leprosy treatment and the answers were transcribed and submitted to content analysis. Results: The nurses stated that polychemotherapy is effective in the treatment of leprosy, as well as in reducing the burden of disease and curing the patient. Supervision is related to correct treatment, guarantee of cure, reduction of sequelae and interruption of disease transmission. Treatment failure is mainly associated with patient’s and family’s lack of engagement, lack of medication at the health clinic, lack of patient guidance, low levels of education, and drug side effects. Noncompliance with or cessation of treatment were related to complications such as aggravation of symptoms, disabilities, and amputations. Conclusion: The study showed that the nurses evaluated have adequate knowledge about aspects of leprosy treatment in PHC, highlighting points that must be corrected in order to achieve excellence in the fight against leprosy, such as the importance of encouraging family participation as a coadjutant in the treatment.

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