A worldwide survey on training provisions for psychiatric trainees in WPA member associations.

This World Psychiatric Association (WPA) global survey of its WPA member society presidents using an online self-administered 15-item questionnaire successfully recruited 47 WPA member countries or regions (response rate = 39.8%) to provide responses about training provisions of psychiatric education at undergraduate, postgraduate, and post-qualified levels in their respective countries. There were significantly fewer responses from the low and middle income countries (LMIC) than the high income countries (HIC). At undergraduate level, the median duration of psychiatric education during medical school education was 4.0%. However, the current allocated time for psychiatric education was only around one-third to one-half of the time considered as optimal by the member countries or regions (optimal mean = 8.9%; optimal median = 10%). At the postgraduate level, the duration of training varied widely from 12-72 months, with a mean duration of 48 months. In 31% of the respondent countries, psychiatrists only required 36 or fewer months of post-graduate training. The number of months of training required for training a psychiatrist was significantly fewer in the LMIC than HIC. At post-qualified continuing medical education level, all respondents reported providing post-qualified continuing medical education. With the advent of internet technology, many respondents prefer having online training.

Child psychiatry and mental health in Latin America.

The review of epidemiological studies of psychiatric disorders in children and teenagers in Latin America, is validated and updated in this article. The present article incorporates variants that are contributed from the neurosciences, which allow us to see difficulties as opportunities, across such mechanisms as the plasticity neuronal, trying to change paradigms, frequently pessimistic in this type of review, and we call for the active participation of all the scientific societies of our countries in the development of public policies, based on prevention, for the vulnerability of the rights of our children and teenagers suggesting a multidisciplinary boarding in mental health.

The reality of the management of mental health services in Latin America, reflexions from the perspective of a vision of strategic planning.

The history of mental health services in Latin America, has been influenced by public policies derived from governments in turn, in each one of the countries of the region. As much in the definition of these public policies, as in the resource allocation, the rule has been inconsistency and indifference. The few results have been dependent on the decision of one or just a few people who were able to make decisions in local and regional Latin American governments. A brief analysis regarding the role and transformation of psychiatric hospitals can be found in this article, also of the workers attitudes and ideology, as well as the importance of developing better mental health professionals with knowledge of public administration and particularly in well-known strategies such as strategic planning.

Psychiatry in Venezuela.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela covers 916 445 km2; to the north is the Caribbean Sea, to the south-east the Amazonian region and the plains of Brazil and Colombia, and to the west the Andes and the Colombian Guajira peninsula. Its estimated population (2004) is 25 226 million, which is concentrated along the north coastal area, where the population density exceeds 200 inhabitants per km2; most of the territory remains almost inhabited (fewer than 6 inhabitants per km2), in particular the border areas. The population is mainly urban: 70% live in cities with more than 50 000 inhabitants.

Síndrome febril prolongado por coinfección salmonella/brucella / Fever infection by salmonella and brucella

Se presenta un caso excepcional de síndrome febril prolongado debido a la infección simultánea por Salmonella notyphi y Brucella, en una paciente de 29 años, de origen portugués, que adquirió su enfermedad en una visita a una región rural de su país de origen, en donde ingirió leche y quesos no pasteurizados de vaca y de cabra. Se destacan la ocurrencia inusual de manifestaciones cutáneas y gastrointestinales, así como la necesidad de un tratamiento combinado adecuado por un período de tiempo prolongado para evitar la ocurrencia de recaídas.