La receta médica: ¿reflejo condicionado o reflexión consciente? / Medical prescription: conditioned reflex or conscious reflection?

Resumen Extender una receta o indicar un tratamiento suele ser la última parte de la consulta médica. Este proceso crucial puede desvirtuarse debido a múltiples factores como capacidad prescriptiva limitada, exceso de trabajo y falta de reflexión o tiempo. La información insuficiente acerca del paciente o del tratamiento afecta el proceso prescriptivo y propicia errores que pueden ser graves para la salud del enfermo. La Academia Nacional de Medicina, en consonancia con la Organización Mundial de la Salud, hace énfasis en hacer del proceso prescriptivo un ejercicio de reflexión.

Abstract Writing a prescription or indicating a treatment is usually the last part of medical consultation. This crucial process can be undermined by multiple factors such as limited prescriptive ability, overwork, and lack of reflection or time. Insufficient information about the patient or the treatment affects the prescriptive process and leads to errors that can be serious for patient health. The National Academy of Medicine, in line with the World Health Organization, emphasizes the relevance of making the prescriptive process a reflective exercise.

Sistema de apoyo al diagnóstico médico de COVID-19 mediante mapa cognitivo difuso / Support system to Covid-19 medical diagnosis via diffuse cognitive map

Introducción: Los escenarios de convivencia de las diversas poblaciones son muy complejos, lo que contribuye con la propagación de enfermedades. Diagnosticar tempranamente enfermedades infecciosas representa una tarea fundamental para disminuir su propagación y evitar epidemias. Sin embargo, la inconsistencia en los datos de poblaciones y la imposibilidad de contar con un diagnóstico oportuno en muchos casos trae como consecuencia la proliferación de pandemias tales como la COVID-19. Objetivo: Desarrollar un sistema de apoyo al diagnóstico médico para COVID-19 a partir de la modelación de las relaciones causales de los criterios de diagnóstico, para conformar el mapa cognitivo difuso. Métodos: Para el desarrollo de la investigación se utilizaron métodos teóricos, empíricos y estadísticos, tales como: analítico-sintético, inductivo-deductivo, hipotético-deductivo, modelación. Como método empírico se utilizó la entrevista semiestructurada con la intención de recoger información que permitiera incluir contenidos no prescritos y precisar el conocimiento de los expertos sobre los principales indicadores para la toma de decisiones en el diagnóstico médico de la COVID-19. Resultados: El sistema funciona a través de un mapa cognitivo difuso para modelar las relaciones causales que representan la base de la inferencia. Se utilizan técnicas de inteligencia artificial como base al diagnóstico médico. Se presenta un ejemplo demostrativo para el diagnóstico médico de la COVID-19 en el que se modelan las relaciones causales de los diferentes conceptos que describen la enfermedad provocada. Conclusiones: El sistema diseñado constituye una herramienta viable de apoyo a la toma de decisiones en el diagnóstico médico de la COVID-19, que permite obtener criterios evaluativos a partir de la modelación de las relaciones causales, esto lo hace extensible a otros tipos de situaciones de emergencias sanitarias(AU)

Introduction: Different populations coexistence scenarios are very complex, which contributes to the spread of diseases. Diagnosing infectious diseases early is a critical task in reducing its spread and preventing epidemics. However, inconsistency in population data and the inability to have timely diagnosis in many cases result in the proliferation of pandemics such as COVID-19. Objective: Develop a support system for COVID-19 medical diagnostic from modeling causal relations of diagnostic criteria, to form the diffuse cognitive map. Methods: Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods were used for the development of the research, such as: analytical-synthetic, inductive-deductive, hypothetical-deductive, modeling. As an empirical method, the semi-structured interview was used with the intention of collecting information that would include unprescribed contents and require expert knowledge of the main indicators for decision-making in COVID-19 medical diagnosis. Results: The system works through a diffuse cognitive map to model causal relationships that represent the inference´s basis. Artificial intelligence techniques are used as a basis for medical diagnosis. A demonstrative example is presented for COVID-19 medical diagnosis in which are modelled the causal relations of the different concepts that the disease describes. Conclusions: The designed system is a viable support tool for decision-making in COVID-19 medical diagnosis, which allows to obtain evaluative criteria from the modelling of causal relations, and this makes it extendable to other types of health emergencies situations(AU)

Síndrome. Empleo inadecuado del término en la Discusión Diagnóstica. Semejanzas y divergencias en el criterio de expertos / Inappropriate use of the term Syndrome in the Diagnostic Discussion. Similarities and divergences in the criterion of experts

Introducción: hay casos de uso inadecuado del término síndrome en la discusión diagnóstica, en el Hospital Universitario V.I. Lenin de Holguín, lo que puede deberse a diversos factores. Objetivo: identificar, según el criterio de expertos, si existen en otras provincias de Cuba casos de uso inadecuado del término síndrome en la discusión diagnóstica, su repercusión negativa en el diagnóstico médico, principales manifestaciones del uso inadecuado, probables causas, necesidad de consenso y de reemplazo conceptual. Métodos: estudio observacional descriptivo con triangulación metodológica. Muestra intencionada de 15 expertos de diferentes provincias, profesores auxiliar o titular, máster, doctor en ciencias o ambos y especialistas de primer o segundo grado en medicina interna, quienes contestaron, por vía electrónica, una encuesta con diversos ítems y preguntas, tipo Escala Likert. La encuesta fue validada estadísticamente, los datos fueron procesados con uso de la mediana y de cuartiles mediante: test de Anova, coeficiente de correlación de Kendall y análisis clúster. Resultados: la mayoría de expertos concordaron en que existen casos de uso inadecuado del término síndrome en las discusiones diagnósticas, su negativa repercusión en el diagnóstico médico, posibles causas, necesidad de consenso con algunas divergencias, entre tres grupos de expertos, respecto a formas de manifestarse, otros factores influyentes y en especial sobre la ampliación del concepto síndrome, mediante la inclusión de signos propios de los exámenes complementarios, y su posible consecuencia en el algoritmo del método clínico. Conclusiones: aunque la mayoría de expertos concordaron sobre la existencia de uso inadecuado del término síndrome y otros aspectos relacionados, la existencia de divergencias, en especial sobre el reemplazo conceptual del término y su repercusión en el proceso diagnóstico hace plantear la existencia de una escuela heterodoxa (minoría), una escuela ortodoxa o tradicional (mayoría) y una escuela ecléctica, intermedia en número de expertos.

Introduction: there have been cases of misuse of the term syndrome in diagnostic discussion at the University Hospital of Holguin V.I. Lenin, which may be due to several factors. Objective: to identify, according to expert criteria, if there are cases of inappropriate use of the term syndrome in the diagnostic discussion in other provinces of Cuba, its negative repercussion in the medical diagnosis, main manifestations of the inadequate use, probable causes, need of consensus and of conceptual replacement. Method: descriptive observational study with methodological triangulation. Intentional sample of 15 experts from different provinces, assistant or master professors, master, doctor of science or both and specialists of first or second degree on internal medicine, who answered, electronically, a survey with various items and questions, Likert Scale. The survey was statistically validated; the data were processed using the median and quartiles using: anova test, Kendall correlation coefficient and cluster analysis. Results: the majority of experts agreed that there are cases of inadequate use of the term syndrome in diagnostic discussions, its negative repercussion in the medical diagnosis, possible causes, need for consensus with some divergences, among three groups of experts, regarding forms of manifestation, other influential factors and especially on the extension of the syndrome concept, through the inclusion of signs of complementary examinations and their possible consequence in the algorithm of the clinical method. Conclusions: although most experts agreed on the existence of inappropriate use of the term syndrome and other related aspects, the existence of divergences, especially on the conceptual replacement of the term and its repercussion in the diagnostic process, suggests the existence of a heterodox school (minority), an orthodox or traditional school (majority) and an eclectic school, intermediate in number of experts.

Burocracia pública e política social no Brasil / Street-level Bureaucracy and Social Policy in Brazil

Resumo O artigo descreve a burocracia do governo central brasileiro e o acesso da pessoa com deficiência ao Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC). Este acesso é dependente da avaliação da condição de vulnerabilidade realizada pela burocracia ministerial. Foram utilizadas revisão de literatura e dados secundários de séries de tempo e transversal para descrever a burocracia federal. Documentos legais e indicadores descrevem o regime de avaliação pericial. É demonstrada a evolução desigual no quantitativo da burocracia de carreira do governo central brasileiro nas últimas duas décadas. Resultado: O governo central brasileiro adotou a concepção internacional da pessoa com deficiência na avaliação dos requerentes ao BPC. A despeito dessa decisão, é demonstrado que o governo central brasileiro ampliou seletivamente a burocracia de carreira para atuar na área social. Constou-se que o resultado do processo de avaliação foi bastante severo, favorecendo os requerentes em condição de extrema vulnerabilidade biomédica. A despeito da adoção do modelo social, a elegibilidade ao BPC é subordinada ao diagnóstico médico.

Abstract This paper describes the Brazilian central government bureaucracy and people with disabilities' access to the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC). This access depends on the Ministry of Social Security bureaucracy's evaluation of the condition of vulnerability. We performed a literature review, analysis of secondary data from time series and cross-sectional data to describe street-level federal bureaucracy. Legal documents and indicators describe the expert evaluation regimen of the Ministry of Social Security (MPS). This paper shows the uneven growth of the number of career public servants of the central government in the last two decades. The Brazilian central government has adopted the international concept of person with disabilities in the evaluation of BPC applicants. Despite this decision, it is shown that the Brazilian central government expanded selectively the career bureaucracy to work in the social area. It was found that the result of the evaluation process was quite strict, favoring applicants in conditions of extreme biomedical vulnerability. Despite adopting the social model, BPC eligibility is tied to medical diagnosis.

Propuestas de acercamiento al diagnóstico de la afectación y el padecer en la carrera de Medicina / Approach proposals to the diagnosis of affectation and suffering in the medicine career

Introducción: A pesar del tiempo transcurrido, el paradigma biologicista de atención médica no ha sido sustituido por el paradigma biopsicosocial. En el programa de la carrera no hay definición clara de los términos para que los estudiantes de Medicina en su tercer año, durante la estancia en salas de Medicina Interna se acerquen al diagnóstico de la afectación y el padecer. Objetivo: Elaborar una propuesta argumentada de acercamiento al diagnóstico de la afectación y el padecer por estudiantes de Medicina durante su estancia en salas de Medicina Interna. Material y Métodos: Se realizó una revisión narrativa de la literatura seleccionada, obtenida mediante el motor de búsqueda Google Académico y la base de datos Scielo de la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud. Resultados: El Índice de Barthel permite suficiente acercamiento al diagnóstico de la discapacidad como concepto asociado a la afectación. La respuesta emocional del paciente puede definirse como adaptativa ­ adecuada ­ conveniente o como inadaptativa ­ inadecuada ­ inconveniente para la solución de su problema de salud. Conclusiones: Se proponen términos concretos para el acercamiento al diagnóstico de la afectación y el padecer para el estudiante de Medicina(AU)

Introduction: In spite of the elapsed time the biologistic paradigm of medical attention has not been substituted by the bio psychosocial. In the career's program, there is no obvious definition of terms in order that the third year medicine students, during their stay in the Internal Medicine wards, approach to the diagnosis of affectation and suffering. Objective: Elaborate an argued proposal of approach to the diagnosis of affectation and suffering for students of medicine during his stay in Internal Medicine wards. Material and Methods: Was performed a narrative revision of the selected literature obtained by means of the computer search engine google academic and SciELO data base of the Health's Virtual Library. Results: Barthel's index enables an enough approach to the diagnosis of the disability as a correlated concept with affectation. The patient's emotional reaction can be defined as adequate ­ adaptive -convenient or inadequate ­ inconvenient and maladaptive for the solution of his problem of health. Conclusions: The authors propose specific terms for the approach to the diagnosis of affectation and suffering for the student of medicine(AU)

Método clínico. Vulnerabilidad y perspectivas en Estomatología / Clinical method. Vulnerabilities and perspectives in Stomatology

La correcta aplicación del método clínico constituye la base de una atención de calidad a la población. En los últimos años se ha observado un deterioro universal de este, situación no ajena al contexto social cubano, por lo que se presenta como una problemática de salud actual. El objetivo de este trabajo fue considerar aspectos que pueden vulnerar el método clínico en Estomatología, su repercusión en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento, imprescindibles para obtener mejor calidad en la atención a la población. Se efectuó una revisión bibliográfica acerca del método clínico, para lo cual se consideraron como palabras claves: método clínico, diagnóstico médico, problemas de salud, en el período comprendido entre 1966 a 2015. Fueron consultadas las bases de datos: Google Scholar, Ebsco, Lilacs, Pumed y SciELO; de las cuales 41 artículos se tuvieron en cuenta y de estos 27 pertenecían a los últimos 5 años. Se concluyó que el método clínico puede ser vulnerado al realizar algunos procederes de la Estomatología, en detrimento del diagnóstico y la conducta terapéutica. Estas acciones, pueden conducir al deterioro de la relación estomatólogo-paciente, que constituye uno de los aspectos más humanos y esenciales en la profesión. El dominio del método clínico es indispensable para la solución de los problemas de salud bucal y está determinado por la dedicación de los profesionales a su labor, caracterizada por el desarrollo de su capacidad científico técnica, el cumplimiento de los principios éticos y el deber de restablecer la salud del ser humano.

The correct application of the clinical method is the base of population’s quality care. In the last years, a universal deterioration of this method has been observed. This situation is not unknown in the Cuban social context, being, therefore, a health problem nowadays. The aim of this work was considering aspects that may damage clinical method in Stomatology, its repercussion in the diagnosis and treatment, essential for achieving better quality in population’s care. A bibliography review on the clinical method was carried out in the period between 1966 and 2015, considering as key words the following: clinical method, medical diagnosis, health problems. The consulted databases were Google Scholar, Ebsco, Lilacs, Pubmed and Scielo, taking into account 41 articles, 27 of them from the last five years. We arrived to the conclusion that the clinical method might be transgressed when carrying out some procedures of the Stomatology, detracting prognosis and therapeutic behavior. These actions might lead to the deterioration of the stomatologist-patient relations, one of the most humanistic and essential aspects of the profession. Knowing well the clinical method is unavoidable for the solution of the oral health problems, and it is determined by the professionals’ dedication to their work, characterized by the development of their scientific-technical capacity, the fulfillment of the ethical principles and the duty of reestablishing human people health.

Diagnóstico médico / Medical diagnostic

El diagnóstico es objetivo central del acto médico, entendido este como relación médico-paciente. "Llamamos diagnóstico al arte de identificar una enfermedad a través de los signos y síntomas que el paciente presenta". De esta forma el artículo intenta una reflexión sobre la importancia de llegar a él a través de una praxis clínica con so-porte documental en la adecuada elaboración de una historia clínica; previa a la utilización del recurso par

The diagnosis is a central objective of the medical act, understood this, as the relationship doctor-patient. "We call the art of identifying a disease through the signs and symptoms that the patient has diagnosis". Thus the article tries to reflect on the importance of reach him through a clinical practice with documentary support in the proper preparation of a medical history prior to the use of the paraclinic resource.

Consideraciones de la enseñanza del método clínico en la formación médica superior / Considerations about the teaching of the clinical method in the higher medical formation

Se define el método clínico como el sistema de procedimientos dirigido al diagnóstico médico individual, es el método científico particularizado en la ciencia clínica. Esta definición revela una orientación positivista, reduccionista y simplista, al homologar los procedimientos del método científico con el método clínico, sin tener en cuenta los elementos culturales presentes en el primero, además no es favorable utilizar de forma tan inflexible el método investigativo de las ciencias naturales, en las ciencias sociales. A consecuencia se propone una investigación con el objetivo de explorar la enseñanza de los procedimientos del método clínico en la formación médica superior, se utiliza como metodología el paradigma cualitativo sustentado en métodos particulares como: análisis y síntesis, hermenéutico dialéctico y hipotético deductivo. Se concluye que el examen y el diagnóstico clínico son procedimientos esenciales del método clínico, al aportar el mayor número de variables culturales y se revela la existencia de insuficiencias en su proceso de enseñanza.

The diagnostic individual doctor is circumscribed to the clinical method like the how-to guided system, it is the scientific method particularized in clinical science. The definition reveals an orientation positivist, reductive and simplistic, when homologating the procedures of the scientific method with the clinical method not taking into account the cultural elements and is not nothing favorable to utilize of so inflexible form the investigating method of natural sciences in social sciences. An investigation for the sake the exploring the teaching of the procedures of the clinical method in the medical superior formation, is proposed to consequence, the qualitative paradigm is utilized like methodology, with particular methods: Analysis and synthesis, hermeneutical dialectician and hypothetic deductive and underlies the scientific method like general method. Concluding that the exam and clinical diagnosis are essential procedures of the clinical method when contributing the bigger number of cultural variables and the existence of irregularities in the teaching of the exam and clinical method.

Análise de diagnósticos associados às licenças médicas de servidores públicos do Ceará / Analysis of diagnoses associated to sick leave of public servants of Ceará, Brazil

O absenteísmo é um fenômeno complexo que envolve vários fatores relacionados aos ambientes de trabalho. Neste trabalho analisaramse os diagnósticos relacionados aos afastamentos com licenças dos servidores públicos do Ceará e suas associações com variáveis sociodemográfcas e laborais. As informações foram cedidas pela Coordenadoria de Perícia Médica do Estado. 26.707 Licenças Médicas e os 38.054 diagnósticos associados aos afastamentos de mais de quatro dias foram analisados, verifcando-se as frequências e associações pelo teste de Qui-quadrado. Três grupos da CID-10 (F, 22,5%; M, 21,1%; e Z, 12,5%) apresentaram as maiores frequências. Gênero, idade e órgão de lotação apresentaram diferenças signifcativas: os diagnósticos se associaram às mulheres, à Secretaria de Educação e Polícia Militar e na faixa etária mais elevada. Distúrbios mentais afastaram os professores e policiais, predominantemente. Os resultados mostram a necessidade de ações de intervenção e mudanças efetivas nas políticas de saúde e promoção da saúde para os funcionários públicos.(AU)

Absenteeism is a complex phenomenon, which involves several factors related to work environments. This work investigates diagnoses related to sick leave among public servants of Ceará and its associations with social, demographic and employment variables. The Coordination of Medical Licenses of the State has provided the information. 26,707 sick leaves and 38,054 diagnoses associated with absences of more than four days were analyzed, computing their frequencies and associations by Chi-Square. Three groups of the ICD-10 (F, 22.5%; M, 21.1%; and Z, 12.5%) presented the highest frequencies. Gender, age and work institution presented signifcant differences: the diagnostics are associated with women, with working in the Secretary of Education and Military Police and with the higher age group. Mental disorders were responsible for the sick leave of teachers and police offcers, predominantly. The results show the need for intervention's action and effective changes in health policies and health promotion for civil servants(AU)

Modelo de Contorno Ativo Crisp Adaptativo 2D aplicado na segmentação dos pulmões em imagens de TC do tórax de voluntários sadios e pacientes com enfisema pulmonar / Adaptive 2D Crisp Active Contour Model applied to lung segmentation in CT images of the thorax of healthy volunteers and patients with pulmonary emphysema

INTRODUÇÃO: Dentre as doenças que afetam a população mundial, destaca-se a preocupação com a Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica (DPOC), que, segundo a Organização Mundial de Saúde, pode se constituir na terceira causa de morte mais importante em todo mundo no ano de 2030. Visando contribuir com o auxílio ao diagnóstico médico, esta pesquisa centraliza seus esforços na etapa de segmentação dos pulmões, visto que esta é a etapa básica de sistema de Visão Computacional na area de pneumologia. MÉTODOS: Este trabalho propõe um novo método de segmentação dos pulmões em imagens de Tomografia Computadorizada (TC) do tórax chamado de Método de Contorno Ativo (MCA) Crisp Adaptativo 2D. Este MCA consiste em traçar automaticamente uma curva inicial dentro dos pulmões, que se deforma por iterações sucessivas, minimizando energias que atuam sobre a mesma, deslocando-a até as bordas do objeto. O MCA proposto é o resultado do aperfeiçoamento do MCA Crisp desenvolvido previamente, visando aumentar a sua exatidão, diminuindo o tempo de análise e reduzindo a subjetividade na segmentação e análise dos pulmões dessas imagens pelos médicos especialistas. Este método por iterações sucessivas de minimização de sua energia, segmenta de forma automática os pulmões em imagens de TC do tórax. RESULTADOS: Para sua validação, o MCA Crisp Adaptativo é comparado com os MCAs THRMulti, THRMod, GVF, VFC, Crisp e também com o sistema SISDEP, sendo esta avaliação realizada utilizando como referência 24 imagens, sendo 12 de pacientes com DPOC e 12 de voluntários sadios, segmentadas manualmente por um pneumologista. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o método proposto é superior aos demais. CONCLUSÃO: Diante dos resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que este método pode integrar sistemas de auxílio ao diagnóstico médico na área de Pneumologia.

INTRODUCTION: Among the diseases that affect the world's population, there is concern about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), that, according to the World Health Organization, could be the leading cause of death worldwide by the year 2030. Aiming to contribute to aid medical diagnosis, this research focuses its efforts on the segmentation of the lungs, since this is the basic step system in the area of Computer Vision pulmonology. METHODS: This paper proposes a new method for segmentation of lung images in Computed Tomography (CT) of the chest called Active Contour Method (MCA) Crisp Adaptive 2D. This MCA is to draw a curve starting inside an object of interest. This curve is deformed by successive iterations, minimizing energies that act on it, moving it to the edges of the object. The MCA is the improvement of the proposed MCA Crisp previously developed, aiming to increase the accuracy, decreasing analysis time and reducing the subjectivity in the segmentation and analysis of the lungs of these images by pulmonologists. This method is automatically initialized in the lungs and on successive iterations to minimize this energy, this MCA automatically targets the lungs in chest CT images. RESULTS: To evaluate the proposed method, the MCA Adaptive Crisp is compared with MCAs THRMulti, THRMod, GVF, VFC, Crisp and also with the system SISDEP, this assessment is performed using reference images 24, 12 COPD patients and 12 volunteers healthy, manually segmented by a pulmonologist. The results show that the proposed method is superior to the others. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it can be concluded that this method can integrate systems aid in the medical diagnosis of Pulmonology.

Modelo de contorno ativo crisp: nova técnica de segmentação dos pulmões em imagens de TC / Active contour modes crisp: new technique for segmentation the lungs in CT images

Este trabalho propõe um novo método de contornos ativos (MCA), chamado de MCA Crisp, e o avalia na segmentação dos pulmões em imagens de Tomografia Computadorizada (TC). O MCA consiste em traçar uma curva inicial em torno ou dentro de um objeto de interesse. Esta curva se deforma, conforme algumas energias que atuam sobre a mesma, deslocando-a até as bordas do objeto. Este processo é realizado por iterações sucessivas de minimização de uma dada energia, associada à curva. Aplicando MCAs descritos na literatura na segmentação dos pulmões em imagens de TC, constatam-se limitações. Neste contexto, propõe‑-se o MCA Crisp para suprir tais limitações, propondo uma inicialização automática e uma nova energia externa baseada em regras e nas densidades radiológicas pulmonares. Realiza-se uma comparação entre os MCAs Tradicional, Balão, GVF e o método proposto para demonstrar a superioridade do novo método. Em seguida, para validar o MCA Crisp realiza-se uma análise qualitativa junto a um médico especialista na área de Pneumologia do Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio da Universidade Federal do Ceará. Nesta análise, são utilizados 100  pulmões em imagens de TC. A eficiência da segmentação foi avaliada em  5 categorias, obtendo os seguintes resultados:   73% ótimas, sem falhas, 20% aceitáveis, com pequenos erros, 7% razoáveis, com erros grosseiros e  0% ruim, segmentando apenas uma pequena parte do pulmão, e  0% péssima, obtendo uma segmentação totalmente errada. Conclui-se que o MCA Crisp é um método útil para segmentar os pulmões em imagens de TC e com potencial para integrar sistemas que auxiliem o diagnóstico médico.

This paper proposes a new Active Contour Model (ACM), called ACM Crisp, and evaluates the segmentation of lungs in computed tomography (CT) images. An ACM draws a curve around or within the object of interest. This curve changes its shape, when some energy acts on it and moves towards the edges of the object. This process is performed by successive iterations of minimization of a given energy, associated with the curve. The ACMs described in the literature have limitations when used for segmentations of CT lung images. The ACM Crisp model overcomes these limitations, since it proposes automatic initiation and new external energy based on rules and radiological pulmonary densities. The paper compares other ACMs with the proposed method, which is shown to be superior. In order to validate the algorithm a medical expert in the field of Pulmonology of the Walter Cantídio University Hospital from the Federal University of Ceará carried out a qualitative analysis. In these analyses  100 CT lung images were used. The segmentation efficiency was evaluated into  5 categories with the following results for the ACM Crisp: 73% excellent, without errors, 20% acceptable, with small errors, and  7% reasonable, with large errors, 0% poor, covering only a small part of the lung, and  0% very bad, making a totally incorrect segmentation. In conclusion the ACM Crisp is considered a useful algorithm to segment CT lung images, and with potential to integrate medical diagnosis systems.

Bases y aplicación del método hipotético-deductivo en el diagnóstico / Rules and implementation of the deductive-hypothetical method in diagnosis

La identificación correcta de los problemas de salud del paciente constituye la base en que descansa la actuación profesional de los médicos y la clave para una atención de calidad. El propósito de este trabajo es describir el método hipotético-deductivo y su utilización en el proceso del diagnóstico, mostrando ejemplos prácticos de casos clínicos que pueden ser similares a los vistos en la atención primaria. Se realizó un trabajo de revisión de artículos nacionales y algunos extranjeros que abordan el diagnóstico médico y la aplicación del método hipotético-deductivo en el proceso del diagnóstico. Los médicos a medida que ganan en conocimientos y experiencias simplifican el proceso del diagnóstico y con pocos datos elaboran sus hipótesis diagnósticas (método hipotético-deductivo), dirigiendo el interrogatorio, el examen físico y las exploraciones complementarias hacia la comprobación o rechazo de los diagnósticos iniciales. Si se rechaza el diagnóstico inicial hay que comenzar de nuevo el proceso. El método hipotético-deductivo es muy eficiente siempre que se aplique correctamente, por un personal experimentado y con las condiciones necesarias. Este método no está exento de errores si se violan sus principios

ABSTRACT The proper identification of health problems of patient is the basis supporting the professional performance of physicians and the key for a quality care. The purpose of present paper is to describe the deductive-hypothetical method and its use in the diagnostic process, showing practical examples of clinical cases that could be similar to that observed in the primary care. A review work was made of national and foreign papers approaching the medical diagnosis y the implementation of the above mentioned method in the process of diagnosis. The physicians according to a increase in knowledges and experiences may to simplify the process of diagnosis and with a few data they made its diagnostic hypotheses (deductive-hypothetic method), directing the questioning, the physical examination and the complementary screenings towards the verification or the rejection of initial diagnoses. If initial diagnosis is rejected it is necessary to start again the process. The deductive-hypothetical method is very effective whenever it be properly applied by a experimented staff and with the necessary conditions. The method is not extent of errors if its principles are infringed

Bases y particularidades del método clínico en la atención primaria de salud / Basis and peculiarities of clinical method of primary health care

El diagnóstico médico es la base de una atención de calidad a nuestros pacientes. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura nacional y de algunos trabajos extranjeros sobre el método clínico, su importancia, bases, procedimientos y características fundamentales en la atención primaria, enfatizando en la morbilidad en ese nivel de atención, las peculiaridades de los problemas de salud allí atendidos, así como las estrategias a seguir para el diagnóstico. Se hacen las consideraciones finales sobre el tema, y se enfatiza que el uso adecuado del método clínico es el principal recurso que posee el médico para identificar los problemas de salud que enfrenta en la atención primaria.

The medical diagnosis is the base of an appropriate care to our patients. A review of national literature and of some foreign papers on the clinical method was conducted, its significance, bases, procedures and major features in primary care emphasizing on the morbidity at that care level, the particular characteristics of the health problems approached, as well as the strategies to be followed for the diagnosis. The final considerations on this subject are made emphasizing that the appropriate use of clinical method is the main resource to count on the physician to identify the health problems faced in the primary care.