Jellybean 104 Emergency Medicine in Chile SMACC 2019

FOAMed is just not for English speakers. We love a bit of FOAMote (FOAM other than English)

At SMACC I set out to meet the international visitors to find out about their version of Critical Care. And let me tell you, the Chilean version is pretty impressive.

Chile is special. The longest country in the world with the driest desert, the highest lakes, the highest volcano, a huge mountain range making it strangely isolated and then they have Patagonia.

The health system is highly developed. Emergency medicine has been growing for 25 years and there are conspicuous local and imported protagonists to thank.

https://developingem.com/2014/08/14/presenter-profile-billy-mallon/

If you only read one article to accompany this podcast let it be this one:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0716864017300299

These days the home grown talent is taking up the reins and I was lucky to meet 4 of them at SMACC. Chile probably has the most high functioning health system in South and Central America. Based on a solid economy and a long history of professional advocacy the discipline of Emergency Medicine is now formally recognised by the Ministry of Health and by the rest of the world. Chile could become a power house of critical and emergency care in the Spanish speaking world. Do not underestimate these people.

Cesar, Loreto, Manuela and Josefina came to SMACC in Sydney where I was waiting to meet them. Have a listen to what this group have to say.

Challenges do, of course, remain. Chile has long since made the “epidemiological transition” to 1st world pathologies. The delivery of care still varies depending on location. Santiago is very well served but the regional and rural areas less so. They have robust public health and vaccination programs, but there is a resurgence of some infectious diseases in part related to population movement. Their economy is strong and their government has been increasingly willing to take on the responsibilities that go with being a regional power. Their borders are long and they have had a huge increase in asylums seekers, refugees and other immigration in recent years. Not insignificant numbers of French Creole speakers have come from Haiti, perhaps related to the presence of Chilean peace keepers. Mass immigration is new. The challenges it brings are huge.

It’s a steep learning curve. But, let’s face it, we like steep learning curves!

Some links, links are good;

The App Josefina Larraín spoke about is Reanimapp ( @reanimapp )

The city with the large indigenous population is Temuco. The indigenous language spoken in the hospital is Mapudungun.

“Do not underestimate the South American countries.” So said a wise woman from Santiago.

Chilean Spanish Language #FOAMed resources;

Mueve www.mue.cl Twitter @MUE_14

Sociedad de Chilena Medicina Urgencias www.socihmu.cl Twitter @Sochimu

MonKeyEM www.MonkeyEM.com Twitter @MonKey__EM

MCU Universidad de Chile www.mdu.cl Twitter @UChileEM

Conferences

Sochimu has its first Congreso Medicina de urgency 21-22 Nov. 2019

https://www.sochimu.cl/noticias/1%C2%BA-congreso-medicina-de-urgencia

The conceptos conference is in 11-14 September 2019

http://www.urgencia.uc.cl/conceptos/

These are not small events; Chris Nickson, Cliff Reid, Amal Mattu and Vic Brazil have spoken there. They know a bit about this sort of thing.

Chile is amazing. But don’t take my word for it.