title: Strict adherence to malaria rapid test results might lead to a neglect of other dangerous diseases: a cost benefit analysis from Burkina Faso.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have generally been found reliable and cost-effective. In Burkina Faso, the adherence of prescribers to the negative test result was found to be poor. Moreover, the test accuracy for malaria-attributable fever (MAF) is not the same as for malaria infection. This paper aims at determining the costs and benefits of two competing strategies for the management of MAF: presumptive treatment for all or use of RDTs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cost benefit analysis was carried out using a decision tree, based on data previously obtained, including a randomized controlled trial (RCT) recruiting 852 febrile patients during the dry season and 1,317 in the rainy season. Cost and benefit were calculated using both the real adherence found by the RCT and assuming an ideal adherence of 90% with the negative result. The main parameters were submitted to sensitivity analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At real adherence, the test-based strategy was dominated. Assuming ideal adherence, at the value of 525 € for a death averted, the total cost of managing 1,000 febrile children was 1,747 vs. 1,862 € in the dry season and 1,372 vs. 2,138 in the rainy season for the presumptive vs. the test-based strategy. For adults it was 2,728 vs. 1,983 and 2,604 vs. 2,225, respectively. At the subsidized policy adopted locally, assuming ideal adherence, the RDT would be the winning strategy for adults in both seasons and for children in the dry season.At sensitivity analysis, the factors most influencing the choice of the better strategy were the value assigned to a death averted and the proportion of potentially severe NMFI treated with antibiotics in patients with false positive RDT results. The test-based strategy appears advantageous for adults if a satisfactory adherence could be achieved. For children the presumptive strategy remains the best choice for a wide range of scenarios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For RDTs to be preferred, a positive result should not influence the decision to treat a potentially severe NMFI with antibiotics. In the rainy season the presumptive strategy always remains the better choice for children.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Diseases, S, Cuore Hospital, Negrar (Verona), Italy. zeno.bisoffi@sacrocuore.it
authors.forename: Zeno
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bisoffi
authors.forename: Sodiomon B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sirima
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meheus
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lodesani
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angheben
authors.forename: Halidou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tinto
authors.forename: Bouma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neya
authors.forename: Klara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van den Ende
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Jef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van den Ende
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002050:Burkina Faso; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003663:Decision Trees; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials