ANALYSIS OF REFERRALS TO SECONDARY CARE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF LEPROSY IN THE COUNTRY TOWN OF TOCANTINS

Abstract

This article aimed to discuss the skills of the Family Medicine physician in Primary Care in managing leprosy, based on a review of medical records and referrals in the municipality of Gurupi, Tocantins, a region with a high prevalence of the disease. This is an exploratory, field-based, qualitative-quantitative, retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted at the leprosy reference unit in Gurupi-TO. It analyzed the medical records of patients treated at the facility and diagnosed with leprosy between January 2022 and October 2023. The thematic analysis of 151 medical records resulted in the inclusion of only 23 eligible samples according to the criteria established in the study. Through the evaluation of the selected records, patient clinical presentation, symptoms, and lesion characteristics, in comparison with academic and literary references, it was possible to conclude that 36.5% of the diagnoses could have been made at the primary healthcare level. This would enable the treatment and clinical follow-up to be carried out by the Family and Community Medicine physician.