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Evidence based medicine is strongly positioned in medical practice. However we must remember that it should be just a part of our knowledge and skills and that a close relationship with our patients is essential. I report a 52 years old male that presented with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant lasting seven days, that started after participating in a celebration dinner. Abdominal ultrasound was normal and biochemical tests were within normal limits. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a toothpick that was perforating the gastric wall. The toothpick was withdrawn and the pain subsided. The patient was discharged asymptomatic three days later.

Evidence based medicine is strongly positioned in medical practice. However we must remember that it should be just a part of our knowledge and skills and that a close relationship with our patients is essential. I report a 52 years old male that presented with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant lasting seven days, that started after participating in a celebration dinner. Abdominal ultrasound was normal and biochemical tests were within normal limits. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a toothpick that was perforating the gastric wall. The toothpick was withdrawn and the pain subsided. The patient was discharged asymptomatic three days later

Evidence based medicine is strongly positioned in medicalpractice. However we must remember that it should be just a part of our knowledge and skillsand that a close relationship with our patients is essential. I report a 52 years old male thatpresented with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant lasting seven days, that started afterparticipating in a celebration dinner. Abdominal ultrasound was normal and biochemical testswere within normal limits. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a toothpick that wasperforating the gastric wall. The toothpick was withdrawn and the pain subsided. The patientwas discharged asymptomatic three days later (Rev Med Chile 2006; 134: 1197-99).(

Evidence based medicine is strongly positioned in medical practice. However we must remember that it should be just a part of our knowledge and skills and that a close relationship with our patients is essential. I report a 52 years old male that presented with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant lasting seven days, that started after participating in a celebration dinner. Abdominal ultrasound was normal and biochemical tests were within normal limits. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a toothpick that was perforating the gastric wall. The toothpick was withdrawn and the pain subsided. The patient was discharged asymptomatic three days later

We report a 22 years old male with chronic allergic rhinitis, who presented with asthma, prolonged fever, eosinophilia, cutaneous vasculitis, subcutaneous nodules, polyarthritis, ulcers in the nasal mucosa and external auditory canal, hematuria, proteinuria, renal failure, severe hypertension, pulmonary infiltrates and mesenteric ischemia with a perforation of the sigmoid colon. Arteriography showed multiple aneurysmae of intrarenal arteries and a skin biopsy showed a leukocytoclastic vasculitis. A diagnosis of ChurgStrauss syndrome was made. He was initially treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide but abandoned therapy. Eighteen years after the onset of the disease, he required hemodialysis. Eight months after being on dialysis, he suffered a reactivation of the disease with lung hemorrhage and finally died, due to an upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a duodenal ulcer (Rev Med Chile 2006; 134: 79-84). (Key words: Aneurysm; Churg-Strauss syndrome; Lung diseases, interstitial; Vasculitis

A young woman with aphagia, probably caused by an esophageal cancer that could not be confirmed, is reported. Fully respecting the will of the patient at the end of her life, palliative care measures were instituted, even though the diagnosis was uncertain. This case emphasizes the integrative role of internists and the difficulty of making decisions about life and death without being in close touch with desires of our patients

A young woman with aphagia, probably caused by an esophageal cancer that could not be confirmed, is reported. Fully respecting the will of the patient at the end of her life, palliative care measures were instituted, even though the diagnosis was uncertain. This case emphasizes the integrative role of internists and the difficulty of making decisions about life and death without being in close touch with desires of our patients

This is a critical overview of an internist with 33 years of practice, about the activities which are inherent to internal medicine. The author analyzes strategies on how to keep updated in the scientific literature, the importance of acquiring experience from peers and teachers and emphasizes the value of an adequate patient-physician relationship (Rev Méd Chile 132: 509-12)

This is a critical overview of an internist with 33 years of practice, about the activities which are inherent to internal medicine. The author analyzes strategies on how to keep updated in the scientific literature, the importance of acquiring experience from peers and teachers and emphasizes the value of an adequate patient-physician relationship (Rev Méd Chile 132: 509-12)

We report a 73 years old male undergoing chronic hemodialysis with a history of seven years of abdominal pain and weight loss. A mesenteric angiography disclosed a critical stenosis of the celiac artery and a partial stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery. Other causes of abdominal pain were excluded. The patient was subjected to a successful angioplasty with stent placement that resulted in a complete relief of the pain (Rev Méd Chile 2002; 130: 1155-8)

Flash pulmonary edema is a paroxismal pulmonary edema associated to a hypertensive crisis, that subsides in hours with the usual therapeutic measures. It occurs in patients with renal artery stenosis. We report two male patients aged 71 and 74 years old, presenting with acute dyspnea and high blood pressure. Diffuse rales were auscultated and arterial blood pressure was high in both. Dyspnea subsided in few hours with diuretics and oxygen. In both, a critical renal arterial stenosis was found and an angioplasty with stent placement was performed. After 5 and 6 months of follow up, the patients remain asymptomatic (Rev Méd Chile 2002; 130: 1033-6).

We report a 54 years old male that received a renal allograft without complications. One year after the transplantation, she was receiving cyclosporine doses of 2 to 3 mg/kg and maintained serum levels of 60 to 90 mg/dl. An abrupt increase in cyclosporine serum levels to 469 and 600 mg/dl was noted after 15 months of transplantation. After a careful interrogation the patient admitted the use of Geum chiloense ("hierba del clavo"). Discontinuing this herbal remedy, cyclosporine levels decreased to 55 mg/dl, despite the maintenance of the same cyclosporine dose. The potential side effects of herbal remedies must be borne in mind (Rev Méd Chile 2001; 129: 789-90).

We report a 54 years old male that received a renal allograft without complications. One year after the transplantation, she was receiving cyclosporine doses of 2 to 3 mg/kg and maintained serum levels of 60 to 90 mg/dl. An abrupt increase in cyclosporine serum levels to 469 and 600 mg/dl was noted after 15 months of transplantation. After a careful interrogation the patient admitted the use of Geum chiloense ("hierba del clavo"). Discontinuing this herbal remedy, cyclosporine levels decreased to 55 mg/dl, despite the maintenance of the same cyclosporine dose. The potential side effects of herbal remedies must be borne in mind (Rev Méd Chile 2001; 129: 789-90).

Narrative medicine is becoming an increasingly popular way of communicating medical problems. This a letter that the author sends to a recently deceased patient. He describes his apprehensions on the use of invasive forms of diagnosis or treatments and the use of repeated hospital admissions in the context of a chronic and progressive disease. He also discusses the use of methods to "accelerate" death in suffering patients. He finally describes the dignity of his patient to face a chronic and debilitating condition (Rev Méd Chile 2001; 129: 685-7)

A 35 years old male is presented. Eight months after receiving a renal allograft his hypertension worsened and his packed red cell volume raised to 53.7%. Enalapril was started and a 500 ml phlebotomy was performed. In three occasions packed red cell volumes decreased excessively and enalapril was discontinued. Finally, the drug was replaced with losartan, normalizing blood pressure values and stabilizing packed red cell volumes. This case illustrates the different reductions in packed red cell volumes induced by enalapril and losartan. These differences could have a therapeutic relevance.

A 35 years old male is presented. Eight months after receiving a renal allograft his hypertension worsened and his packed red cell volume raised to 53.7%. Enalapril was started and a 500 ml phlebotomy was performed. In three occasions packed red cell volumes decreased excessively and enalapril was discontinued. Finally, the drug was replaced with losartan, normalizing blood pressure values and stabilizing packed red cell volumes. This case illustrates the different reductions in packed red cell volumes induced by enalapril and losartan. These differences could have a therapeutic relevance.

In the last years, evidence based medicine has been considered a main factor for the diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in medical practice. However, one must consider the complexity of human beings and the difficulties in the interpretation of some results obtained in randomized prospective trials that support this theory. Therefore the importance of clinical experience, rational and logical medical thinking and facing patients as individuals must prevail at the moment of complex medical decisions.

Diffusion du document : ENSAR Département d'Economie Rurale et Gestion 65 rue de Saint Brieuc 35042 Rennes Cedex (FRA); Ce rapport a été établi en réponse à un appel d'offres lancé par le CNASEA pour conduire une étude sur la territorialisation des programmes objectif 5b en France, dans la perspective de la mise en place des nouveaux programmes structurels communautaires. A partir des évaluations intermédiaires réalisées précédemment et d'enquêtes de terrain complémentaires, on dresse d'abord une typologie des pratiques des différentes régions françaises selon le mode de territorialisation qu'elles appliquent en matière de politique de développement rural. Sur cette base, et à partir des expériences qui paraissent les plus abouties, on tire un certain nombre d'enseignements et de préconisations pour les futurs programmes européens et leur articulation avec les projets de pays prévus par la loi d'orientation pour l'aménagement et le développement durable du territoire.