Background: There is evidence that acupuncture may relieve pain. Aim: To assess the evidence about the effectiveness of acupuncture to relieve postoperative pain. Material and Methods: A systematic review of the literature selecting controlled clinical trials and systematic reviews comparing acupuncture with standard pain management. The value and quality of reports were evaluated using Jadad scale and STRICTA protocol. Pain intensity and analgesic consumption were the primary endpoints sought. Results: Five controlled trials and two systematic reviews were selected. A meta-analysis was not feasible due to the heterogeneity of studies. In the postoperative period of tonsillectomy, acupuncture reduced pain by 36 and 22% at 20 minutes and two hours, respectively. In knee replacement, acupuncture reduced pain by 2% and analgesic consumption by 42%. In the postoperative period of dental interventions, acupuncture reduced pain by 24% at two hours. Conclusions: Acupuncture may be useful to manage postoperative pain, but more controlled studies are required.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and model changes in the cervical cancer mortality trend in Chile between 1990 and 2009 in order to contribute to the design of health policies on cervical cancer. METHODS: The study analyzed deaths from cervical cancer in Chile between 1990 and 2009. The cases were identified by the codes ICD-9 180 and ICD-10 C-53. The population at risk was calculated on the basis of projections by the National Statistics Institute of Chile. Mortality was modeled using Poisson regression analysis, including the variables of age in decades starting at age 30 and time interval in calendar periods and the term of interaction between the two variables. A joinpoint regression model, stratified by age group, was used to assess changes in the trend. In both models, the annual percentage of change (APC) was used as a summary measure. RESULTS: During the period studied, the APC in Chile was -4%. Women aged 40 to 49 experienced the greatest reduction in mortality (incidence rate ratio = 0.98; P < 0.05) (reference group: women aged 30 to 39). Those with the least reduction in mortality were women over 80 (APC -1.18%). The joinpoint model identified six significant changes in the time trend for the women studied: the greatest reductions occurred in 1999-2002 and 2003-2009, with APCs of -6.9 and -4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality from cervical cancer exhibited a downward trend during the period studied, and the trend was more pronounced among women in the youngest age group.

OBJETIVO: Identificar y modelizar los cambios en la tendencia de las tasas de mortalidad por cáncer cervicouterino en Chile entre 1990 y 2009, para contribuir a diseñar políticas de salud en el ámbito de este cáncer. MÉTODOS: Se utilizaron las defunciones por cáncer cervicouterino ocurridas entre 1990 y 2009 en Chile. Los casos se identificaron utilizando los códigos CIE-9:180 y CIE-10: C-53. La población en riesgo se obtuvo de las proyecciones del Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Chile. La tasa de mortalidad se modelizó mediante la regresión de Poisson, incorporando la edad en decenios a partir de los 30 años, el tiempo (en años calendario) y el término de interacción entre ambas variables. Para evaluar los cambios en la tendencia se usó el modelo joinpoint estratificado por grupos de edad. En ambos modelos se empleó el porcentaje de cambio anual (PCA) como medida resumen. RESULTADOS: Durante el período estudiado, el PCA en Chile fue -4%. Las mujeres con mayor disminución de la mortalidad fueron las de 40 a 49 años (razón de tasas de incidencia = 0,98; P < 0,05) (grupo de referencia: mujeres de 30 a 39 años de edad). La menor reducción de la mortalidad se observó en las mayores de 80 años (PCA = -1,18%). El modelo joinpoint mostró seis cambios significativos en la tendencia temporal para el conjunto de mujeres: las disminuciones de mayor magnitud se observaron en los períodos 1999-2002 y 2003-2009, con PCA de -6,9 y -4%, respectivamente. CONCLUSIONES: La mortalidad por cáncer cervicouterino tiene una tendencia decreciente en el período estudiado y más pronunciada en las mujeres más jóvenes.

Conflicts of interest are very common in medicine, they include a wide spectrum. They have an important impact on the information reaching health professionals and on patient care; most conflicts of interest in medicine are not disclosed. In health care, we need to do a better job to manage conflict of interest developing ethical recommendations to cope with them, and creating educational initiatives directed to training period and to practitioners as well. Radiologists are included in these topics and their regulations

Los conflictos de intereses son muy frecuentes y diversos en medicina, tienen un gran impacto tanto en la información que llega a los profesionales de la salud como en la atención médica y, en su gran mayoría no son divulgados. Para lidiar con ellos, necesitamos hacer nuestros mayores esfuerzos en la atención médica para elaborar, cumplir y desarrollar recomendaciones éticas apropiadas, además de iniciativas de educación tanto en el período formativo, como durante el ejercicio de la profesión. Esto incluye a los radiólogos y su relación con la industria

Professionalism has been tied to medical practice for long time and it has been considered in many different ways by society. A few years ago, and following a hard period of criticism centred in our fails to the commitments with service to patients and the primacy of patients' interest, we are living a revival of this concept with patient-centred professionalism, reassuring our commitment with basic aims: to put patient interest first and to serve them and community. Such issues were gathered in the «Code or Constitutional Chart for Medical Professionalism», an ideal for medical professionals, that it is necessary to be grounded, focusing on the relevant real issues: medical school education, practice according to standards, ethical controlled practice, medical practice peer audited, practical spreading of professionalism principles, among others. Radiologist must adhere to these principles, and they have to consider the nature of their medical attention through imaging, engage them with some ethical principles for managing the images of their patients: safety and quality, specially radioprotection, selection of adequate patient' images, periodical updates, proper images' interpretation in the context of patient condition. Adhering, respecting and practicing these principles are aims we need to achieve if we want to preserve the future of radiology and radiologist in a highly technified but humanitarian medical attention as well

El profesionalismo, asociado a la medicina desde épocas tempranas, ha pasado por diversas etapas de consideración en la sociedad. Tras un período reciente de cuestionamientos por priorizar intereses económicos, por sobre el cumplimiento del compromiso de servicio hacia los pacientes, apareció como reacción, un renacimiento dirigido a recuperar la primacía del servicio, que fue plasmado en el «Código o Carta Constitucional para los Médicos» que propone ideales a los que «todos los profesionales de la medicina pueden y debieran aspirar». Se propone la práctica de acciones concretas enfocadas hacia los temas relevantes como: docencia, ejercicio, control ético efectivo de la medicina, auditorías del trabajo médico por pares, y difusión práctica de los ideales. Los radiólogos, que ejercen a través de las imágenes, deben prestar especial atención a ciertos principios éticos básicos para un mejor futuro de la medicina y la especialidad, en el contexto de una medicina altamente tecnificada, pero humanitaria

Background: Acute variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients is an emergency with a high risk of rebleeding and death. Endoscopic procedures such as sclerotherapy or banding, combined or not with drugs such as octreotide could be considered. Aim: To assess the value of octreotide in the control of acute variceal bleeding. Patients and methods: Ninety-two patients were randomized into three groups: endoscopic therapy plus octreotide 50 µg/h bolus and continuous infusion for 5 days (n= 36); octreotide (same dosage) (n= 13) and endoscopic therapy only (banding and/or sclerotherapy) (n= 43). Results: Haemostasis at 24 hours was achieved in 97% of patients with combined treatment, 69% of patients receiving octreotide, and 93% of patients with endoscopic therapy (p= 0.2). Three patients with combined treatment, four patients receiving octreotide and eight patients with endoscopic therapy, rebled during the first five days (p= 0.15). The mean of blood units transfused was similar in the three groups. No differences were observed in hospital days and side effects. At 42 days of follow up, eight patients with endoscopic therapy, one patients with combined therapy and 2 patients receiving octreotide, died (p=NS). Conclusions: Octreotide is useful in the management of acute variceal bleeding. The absence of important side effects, renders it as a safe adjuvant treatment associated with endoscopic treatment (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 285-94).

Background: The pathophysiological hallmark of the hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is renal vasoconstriction. Doppler ultrasonography can be used to assess the vascular resistance in small renal intraparenchymal vessels through analysis of the Doppler waveform by a parameter termed Resistive Index (RI). We postulated that the RI could be important for the diagnosis and prognosis of HRS. Aims: to assess the RI in cirrhotic patients with ascites, with and without HRS. Patients and methods: We studied 48 cirrhotics with ascites, of whom 12 were with and 36 without HRS and other 23 were normal subjects. We measured the intrarenal arterial RI (Resistive index = Peak systolic velocity - Minimum diastolic velocity/Peak systolic velocity) with color Doppler ultrasonography after visualization of interlobular or arcuate arteries. It was considered abnormal when higher than 0.70. Results: The RI values, mean and SD) were: normal subjects: 0.58 ± 0.05, cirrhotics with ascites: 0.65 ± 0.05 and cirrhotics with ascites and HRS: 0.78 ± 0.11. Patients with HRS had significantly higher values than those without HRS (p < 0.001). The Relative Risk of developing the HRS in patients with a RI ≥ 0.70 were 3.32 (CI 95% = 1.79 - 6.2) Conclusions: The RI was useful in patients with cirrhosis and ascites for the prognosis of HRS and could suggest diagnosis of HRS with values of 0.78 or higher, if other clinical conditions that produce renal vasoconstriction are excluded (Rev Méd Chile 2002; 130: 173-80)