02003nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653000900042653002500051100001600076700002000092700001500112700001400127700001400141700001400155245014600169856006000315490000700375520142700382       2020                            d10aMMDP10a filarial lymphedema1 aDe Britto R1 aVijayalakshmi G1 aBoopathi K1 aKamaraj P1 aSupriya V1 aYuvaraj J00aDoes the morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) clinic serve the filarial lymphedema (FLE) patients’ preeminent expectation?  uhttp://msptm.org/files/Vol37No1/66-74-De-Britto-RLJ.pdf0 v373 aAdvocacy and training on “Home care” for filarial lymphoedma (FLE) patients
are provided through morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) clinic
commonly known as filariasis clinic and clinical improvement is assessed by follow-up
visits. While the physicians aim at reducing the recurrent ADL (coined as ADLA in 1997)
episodes, the patients expect reduction in LE volume. The objective of the present study
was to know whether the MMDP clinic serves the primary expectation of the FLE patients.
LE patients who attended the clinic for at least four follow-up consultations and had LE
volume measurements at three points of time during the one year period of observation
were considered for analysis. Clinical assessment was done for LE grading and LE volume
was measured by water displacement volumetry. Sixty-three patients who fulfilled the
follow up criteria were included. It was observed that the median LE volume was 914ml
(IQR 269 – 1935) at first visit of the observation period which reduced to 645ml (IQR 215-
1666) and 752ml (IQR 215 – 1720) at first and second follow-up visits respectively. Over
all, in short span of one year, 21 of the 63 patients (33.3%) who visited MMDP clinic at least
four times in a year were benefitted through the MMDP advocacy and the National filariasis
control programme need to emphasise on the importance of follow up visits to FLE patients.