Dear Editors of Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia,
Considering the relevance of this scientific journal that has as priorities publications about Hansen’s disease, as well as the importance of these publications to the medical community, mainly dermatologists, I am sending considerations regarding the article “Hanseníase em menores de 15 anos” de 2016;91(2):196 - 203. It is a study by Marcela Oliveira Barreto and Lucia Martins Diniz where some mistakes were found that need to be clarified to our readers. The article was submitted on 28/APR/2014 and accepted for publication on 16/SEP/2014, therefore the references should be up to date regarding the acceptance date. We point out that on page 201 the authors affirm that the Ministry of Health recommends 02 doses of BCG whenever there is household contact with leprosy, with a 06 month interval between doses, citing as reference #21: Brasil - Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Políticas de Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Guia para o controle de Hanseníase. Brasília. Ministério da Saúde, 2002, série A. Normas e Manuais Técnicos n.111. We emphasize that the reference used by the authors should be disregarded and replaced by Ordinance 3.125 published in 2010, where item 3.3.1 lists the recommendation about the use of BCG vaccine for household contact with leprosy. It presents a chart with the number of doses to be prescribed, depending on the evaluation of the vaccine scar: no scar: prescribe one dose; with one BCG scar: prescribe one dose; with two BCG scars: no dose should be prescribed. In order to prepare the cited ordinance, a reference from the Ministry of Health was also used, Caderno de Atenção Básica nº 21, DAB/SAS/MS de 2008. It should be noted that the Caderno de Atenção Básica also precedes the submission and publication of the article. We emphasize also that, on page 201, Table 2, the way it is typed, could be misleading regarding drug dosage and administration, and that like it was done in relation to BCG, the reference published in 2002 was cited. We would like to remind you that in January 2016 was published Ordinance 149 regarding the Guidelines for vigillance, attention and elimination of leprosy as a problem of public health that maintains the orientation about BCG and widens the orientation for vigillance of household contact with leprosy (http://portalsaude.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2016/fevereiro/04/diretrizes-eliminacao-hanseniase-4fev16-web.pdf) and standartization of the protocol of care and vigillance is fundamental for the quality of assistance to the patients and reduction of risk of illness among contacts.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
May-Jun 2016
History
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Received
25 May 2016 -
Accepted
25 May 2016
