Background: Over the years, the number of new leprosy patients living in the area of Ho Chi Minh city continued to fall. However, the management and monitoring of leprosy patients with disabilities after completing the Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) is difficult. In particular, the plantar ulcers caused by leprosy are long-term problems, and affect their daily activities, work, and social rehabilitation. Thus, the survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices of this group will help us offer the appropriate solutions. Thereby, reducing the number of patients with plantar ulcers, and prevent the development of new ones on people affected by leprosy with disabilities. Objective: Review of the plantar ulcers by leprosy and survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices of this patients' group in HCM City. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Results: There were 37 patients eligible for the study. Knowledge: 72.4 percent of patients have the right knowledge on how to take care of the plantar ulcers. However, many patients do not know the longstanding, orlong-distance walking also causes plantar ulcers or delays wound healing (respectively 51.4 percent and 45.9 percent). Attitudes: 65.2 percent of patients have the right attitudes about how to take care of the plantar ulcers. Just over half of the patients think that need to avoid standing for long periods or walking for long distances (respectively 54.1 percent and 56.8 percent)
proportion of patients takes care the p,lantar ulcers correctly is lower, with 48.6 percent of cases scrape the callus and 54.1 percent use topical antiseptic after washing the plantar ulcers. Practices: It is noteworthy that the patients have the right knowledge, at(itudes, but do not wear shoes reserved for people with disabilities (21.6 percent regular shoes). Patients also rave activities that not good for healing ulcers such as long-standing (48.6 percent)
long-distance walkingJ62.2 percent)
heavy carrying (37.8 percent).75.7 percent of patients do not scrape the callus when taking care of wounds every day. Conclusions: Need to strengthen communication, health education about how to take care the plantar ulcers and offer suitable size shoes for people affected by leprosy.