Hospital cost of invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged under 15 years old in Tunisia. 2019

Arwa Ben Salah, and Sana El Mhamdi, and Manel Ben Fredj, and Chebil Ben Meriem, and Jihen Bouguila, and Khaled Ben Helel, and Lamia Sfaihi, and Rafiaa Mustapha, and Mohamed Sfar, and Mohamed Soltani
Service de Médecine préventive et d'Épidémiologie, Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU), Monastir (Tunisie).

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the world and in Tunisia. Data on the economic burden of these infections are needed to inform decision-making to include pneumococcal vaccinations in routine childhood immunization. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the medical cost of hospitalizations due to invasive pneumococcal disease (pneumonia and meningitis) among children aged under 15 years old in Tunisia. METHODS A prospective multicentre study was conducted in 15 paediatric departments, across different socio-economic areas of Tunisia, from June 2014 to May 2015. All children aged under 15 years old who were hospitalized for pneumococcal pneumonia or confirmed bacterial meningitis were enrolled. A case report form was completed for every eligible case. Activity Based Costing method was used to estimate the hospital cost. Data entry and statistical analysis were conducted using SPSS, version 20.0. RESULTS During the study period, 727 children were hospitalized for pneumococcal pneumonia and 60 children were hospitalized for bacterial meningitis, among them 21(35%) had confirmed pneumococcal meningitis. The median hospital cost for pneumococcal pneumonia was 353.910 Tunisian Dinars (TND) and TND 1680.632 for pneumococcal meningitis. Using overall data extrapolation, it was estimated that nearly 1091 hospitalizations for pneumococcal pneumonia and 69 hospitalizations for pneumococcal meningitis occurred each year in Tunisian children aged under 15 years of age, incurring total costs of TND 502 079.408. CONCLUSIONS The economic burden of pneumococcal infections seems to be substantial in Tunisia. The estimated costs does not reflect the real costs of this infection. Cost-effectiveness studies would be helpful to inform policy-makers to take appropriate decisions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297 Male Males
D008586 Meningitis, Pneumococcal An acute purulent infection of the meninges and subarachnoid space caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, most prevalent in children and adults over the age of 60. This illness may be associated with OTITIS MEDIA; MASTOIDITIS; SINUSITIS; RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS; sickle cell disease (ANEMIA, SICKLE CELL); skull fractures; and other disorders. Clinical manifestations include FEVER; HEADACHE; neck stiffness; and somnolence followed by SEIZURES; focal neurologic deficits (notably DEAFNESS); and COMA. (From Miller et al., Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, 9th ed, p111) Meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae,Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis,Meningitis, Pneumococcal, Experimental,Meningitis, Pneumococcal, Penicillin-Resistant,Meningitis, Pneumococcal, Recurrent,Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitides,Meningitides, Streptococcus pneumoniae,Meningitis, Experimental Pneumococcal,Pneumococcal Meningitides,Pneumococcal Meningitides, Experimental,Pneumococcal Meningitis,Pneumococcal Meningitis, Experimental,Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningitides,Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningitis
D011018 Pneumonia, Pneumococcal A febrile disease caused by STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE. Pneumococcal Pneumonia,Pneumococcal Pneumonias,Pneumonias, Pneumococcal
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014416 Tunisia A country in northern Africa between ALGERIA and LIBYA. Its capital is Tunis.

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