Enseñanza de la medicina tropical mediante la discusión de casos clínicos

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years changes have been proposed in the teaching of tropical medicine, basing the teaching on the student. Objective: To use the methodology of organized and reasoned discussion of clinical cases, with active student participation in order to reach a presumptive diagnosis of pathology present. Methodology: We describe the process of discussion with students of tropical medicine, five patients with bacterial infectious diseases (typhoid fever, brucellosis, leptospirosis, cholera and shigellosis), diagnosed and treated at the Outpatient Clinic of Rural Endemic Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, and Services of Pediatrics and Adult Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Universidad Central de Venezuela, relating clinical manifestations and laboratory findings to epidemiological background to establish the diagnosis and initiate specific treatment. Results: In each case, following the methodology described definitive diagnosis was reached allowing timely treatment of patients according to etiologic agents. Conclusion: Through discussion of clinical cases and the use of evidence-based medicine including the student as an active entity the knowledge of tropical medicine may be transmitted, reaching the etiologic diagnosis of disease, and getting publications of articles.