Functional assessment of the hands of people with leprosy in a hospital in Paraíba

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the function of the hands of patients diagnosed with leprosy attended at a hospital in Paraíba. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive quali-quantitative approach is adopted in the study, using a sociodemographic and epidemiological questionnaire, the Hand Function Assessment in Leprosy questionnaire, and the Simplified Neurological Assessment. Results: A total of 16 patients were included, with most being diagnosed after more than three months of disease progression. Regarding functional assessment, nine patients reported difficulty performing at least one task. The most problematic activities were those related to household care. The main complaints related to the upper limbs were paresthesia in one or both hands, pain, and edema. The assessment of physical disability related to the hands showed that most patients had no changes in physical examination, but 18.75% exhibited decreased sensitivity in the extremity or trophic lesions/clawing. Conclusion: There is a lack of extensive data on the frequency of hand involvement in leprosy patients, suggesting that diagnostic delay may predispose to the onset and/or worsening of disabilities related to the disease. In the present study, more than half of the evaluated patients reported functional difficulties related to their hands.