Cuánto cuesta la atención de la cardiopatía chagásica crónica? Costos directos en un hospital de cardiología / How much does the medical treatment of chronic Chagas cardiopathy cost? Direct costs in a cardiology hospital

OBJECTIVE: To estimate health care costs of patients with chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) in a cardiovascular referral center (Instituto Nacional de CardiologÝa I. Chßvez). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, 13 clinical charts of CCC patients treated in the hospital during 1998 were reviewed. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and patients admission were identify as well as health care costs, which were drawn from the hospital costs system. RESULTS: 62 of the cases were admitted to the hospital through the out-patient facilities. All the patients had a health care subsidy of 15 to 55 allocated to the institutional budget. Health care costs were calculated for minimal, average, and maximum scenarios, according to the patient's clinical stage and the price of medical equipment used (low, medium, and high). Most of the health care costs are due to the use of high cost diagnostic equipment (33 a 58) and hospital stay (including the emergency room) (19 a 28). CONCLUSION: This is the first approximation to the economic study of Chagas disease in Mexico, providing foundations for further studies on health economics and quality care of CCC, and suggests that prevention should be enhanced.

Infección humana por trypanosoma cruzi en Chile: algunas estimaciones epidemiológicas y de los costos de la atención y tratamiento del paciente chagásico / Trypanosoma cruzi human infection in Chile: some estimates on epidemiology and care and treatment costs of the chagasic patient

According to the gathered information from the 1992 Chile census and an extensive epidemiological field study of Chagasïdisease in rural-periurban sections of the seven most northern regions where this malady is endemic, the following epidemiological outline arises: Total population in the country 13,348,401. Population in endemic regions 8,824,205 (urban 8,050,700 rural 773,505). Number of infected 142,000 (16,7 percent). Total number of cardiopathies 26,554 (18,7 percent). In considering the regime of fees for health attentions of the National Health Funds- including hospitalization, laboratory test and surgical interventions- in its minimal prices plus the value of medicaments, it is posible to produce some estimates onf the cost of attention and treatment, in U.S. dollars, of the chagasic patient. Average annual cost of a patient with chronic chagasic cardiopathy U.S.$ 439,29 to U.S.$ 584,25 If these values are multiplied by 26,554 give rise to a figure ranging from U.S.$ 11,644,906 to U.S.$ 15,514,474