Download - Guidelines for the management of eye disease in leprosy & integration into general eye care services
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Guidelines for the management of eye disease in leprosy &
integration into general eye care services
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Background
• Guidelines developed in 2001 at ILEP meeting
• Developed by multi-disciplinary group (national leprosy control programme managers, NGO representatives, ophthalmologists, epidemiologists)
• Underlying assumption: leprosy control programme integrated into general health care services
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Collaboration between leprosy control & prevention of blindness
• Integrating leprosy patients into eye care services requires close collaboration between leprosy control & national prevention of blindness committee (MoH, NGOs, others)
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Disability grading for the eye
• Current leprosy disability grading scheme for the eye is impractical for most programmes and rarely implemented as designed.
• Recommended grading should include only (as grade 2):– Visual acuity (<6/60)– Lagophthalmos (any gap)
• Corneal opacities, uveitis should be removed.
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Activities to be undertaken:At leprosy diagnosis
All patients should be examined for 4 key
signs:
– Lagophthalmos – Visual acuity– The red eye– and presence of a
facial patch.
Any patient with:
– Lagophthalmos (any gap)
– Decreased vision (<6/18)
– Persistent red eye or– Facial patch in reaction
Should be referred to a higher level for
assessment
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Activities to be undertaken:At end of anti-leprosy treatment
• All patients must be educated regarding the risk of eye disease (return if develop problems)
• Explicit referral instructions must be provided
• Lagophthalmos patients need continued follow up
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Training needs
• Health workers responsible for leprosy patients need basic training to recognize 4 key signs
• Referral individuals (regional supervisors, ophthalmic medical officers) need training in decision-making & intervention
• Individuals responsible for lagophthalmos surgery or cataract surgery may need upgrade training. Also need to understand unique challenges of the “leprosy eye”
• National prevention of blindness programmes need understanding of the challenges faced by leprosy patients in accessing services.
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Leprosy villages/colonies
• Annual examination and treatment visits recommended.
• Patients in “care after cure” programmes also need annual examination & treatment
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Cataract
• Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in leprosy affected persons.
• Use of existing services limited due to problems of awareness, access, and acceptance.
• Programmes needed to improve uptake of services
• IOL implantation recommended
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Lagophthalmos
• Simple tarrsorrhaphy not recommended
• Other procedures for correction, that are simple yet more effective and cosmetically acceptable, are available
• Programmes needed to improve uptake
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Implementation of guidelines
• Systematic approach
• Proper planning (avoid “hit-and-miss”)
• Reliance upon existing general eye care services
• Integrated capacity building (benefits all patients needing eye care services)
• Avoid creating separate structures