[Cost estimation of medical care management of lung cancer in Tunisia]

Background: Lung cancer management is very expensive for the Tunisian healthcare system.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the direct costs of treating lung cancer in Tunisia, and to identify the main treatment of high expenditure.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 2012 including all patients admitted between 2008 and 2010 for lung cancer management. The hospital payment system was used to estimate the direct costs of the medical care management of lung cancer.

Results: We collected 549 patients and the majority of patients were diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease: 60% in stage T4 and 59% in stage M1. 26% of patients underwent surgery and 44.1% chemotherapy. The total direct costs of lung cancer management were estimated to be TND 3900 [US$ 1980] per patient.

Conclusions: Chemotherapy accounted for the largest percentage of direct costs [46%] followed by the cost of the hospital stay. Primary prevention, based on the application of policies to control tobacco, is the best strategy to reduce this morbidity

[Contribution of direct agglutination test [DAT] in the diagnosis of visceral Leishmaniasis in Tunisia]

Direct agglutination test [DAT] is a simple and economical technique for visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis. An evaluation, held in Tunisia with 41 confirmed visceral leishmaniasis cases and 58 negative controls, showed a sensitivity of 95,1% and a specificity of 96,5%. These results were highly correlated with those of ELISA and fluorescent antibody test. The use of DAT in our country will be very relevant, mainly in district hospitals, where others classical tests are not available. It will also be useful during sero-epidemiological studies on both human and canine visceral leishmaniasis