title: [Importance of medical education in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in Cuba].
abstract: The results of the National Toxoplasmosis Reference Laboratory during 1999 and 2000 were processed and the evaluations on this topic were simultaneously analyzed among 51 professionals that attended the First National Workshop held at "Pedro Kouri" Institute of Tropical Medicine at that time. Of 3 672 orders, 3 171 (86.3%) did not have the reason for serology, 36.1% had no place of origin and only 301 cases (8.1%) were indicated the matched serum. On analyzing the main causes leading to make this test, 13.5% corresponded to repeated abortions, which is not accepted at present as a clinical manifestation in the course of the disease. Coincidentally, when some professionals were evaluated through a survey about the basic aspects related to this parasitosis, only 31.3% were able to obtain satisfactory marks. Most of the mistakes were observed in the interpretation of the laboratory results.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí", Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. ciipk@ipk.sld.cu
authors.forename: Dora Emma Ginorio
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gavito
authors.forename: María Victoria Rodríguez
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Duque
authors.forename: Raimundo Cox
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Iraola
authors.forename: Luis Fonte
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: Lázara Rojas
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Rivero
mesh_terms: D003462:Cuba; D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010274:Parasitology / Q000193:education; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis*