PCP Marks Golden Year, Takes a Look at Internal Medicine Then and Now
With 50 years behind it, the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) held its 33rd annual convention May 6 to 9 with the theme Internal Medicine: Then and Now.
The convention's symposiums tackled a wide range of concerns such as risk factors for renal disease, diagnostic/therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy, ageing as a medical problem, new indications for old drugs in hematologic disease and other medical problems, multidisciplinary approach to tobacco control, nutriceuticals in the practice of internal medicine, hormone replacement therapy, hazards of air travel and how to avoid them, COX 2: from arthritis to cancer prevention, occupational hazards, acid-related disease, and alternative medicine.
Case reports on specialties like cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, oncology, pulmonary medicine, endocrinology, hematology, and neurology were presented.
On the other hand, the plenary lectures focused on the continuing scourge of viral hepatitis; the quest for rational cancer screening methods; evolving concepts in type 2 diabetes; the AIDS curse; changing paradigms in heart failure treatment; and the "picture, the mirror, and the crystal ball" in conquering tuberculosis.
Speaking on breast cancer screening, Dr. Beatrice J. Tiangco, chief of medical oncology at the Capitol Medical Center, stressed that all women should be encouraged to do breast self-examination. "Self-examination is considered an adjunct to clinical breast examination and mammography," she said.
She noted, however, that mammography is appropriate only for women with no palpable breast mass. "If the patient already has a palpable mass, the next step is biopsy and not mammography," she said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Diana A. Payawal, chief training officer at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, bewailed the high prevalence of hepatitis B in the country, which poses a lifetime risk of infection of more than 60 percent.
The PCP aims to provide dynamic leadership in the promotion of health and quality of life in the management of disease and in the formulation of relevant health policies. Its mission is to lead in setting the highest standards in medical diagnosis, treatment, prevention and service in the Philippines by providing continuing medical education and training to its present and future members and by providing an environment that promotes ethical, high-quality, and cost-effective medical care.
Its current officers are doctors Cecil Z. Tady, president; Vicen-te Jose Y. Velez, vice president; Adrian C. Peña, secretary; Venancio I. Gloria, treasurer; and Rene I. Juaneza, Fernando G. Ayuyao, Charles Y. Yu, Eugenio Jose F. Ramos, Jaime C. Montoya, and Antonio H. Villalon, regents.
Miles Dumalagan
PSG, PSDE Explore the Horizon in Gastroenterology
The Philippine Society of Gastroenterology (PSG) and the Philippine Society of Digestive Endoscopy (PSDE) held their 2003 Joint Annual Convention March 11 to 14 with the theme Exploring the Horizon in Gastroenterology.
The four-day meet featured various lectures on clinical gastroenterology and clinical hepatology.
An endoscopy workshop, a video presentation of selected procedures performed by pool of local experts, showcased the present status of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy in the country.
Five "state-of-the-art lectures" provided participants comprehensive updates on Crohn's disease (Dr. Jose D. Sollano Jr.), endoscopic management of malignant biliary obstruction (Dr. Lawrence Ho), prevention and early determination of colon cancer (Dr. Andrzej Tarnzawaski), autoimmune hepatitis (Dr. Ernesto O. Domingo), and hematologic disorders in liver diseases (Dr. Honorata Baylon).
Doctors Florencio M. Pineda and Gerald Johannes Holtmann tackled gastrointestinal disorders in the ICU patient and functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome, respectively, in the two plenary sessions.
The symposiums on the third and fourth day featured advances in nonendoscopic imaging in gastroenterology, multidisciplinary approach to esophageal malignancy, and special diagnostic procedures in gastroenterology.
The session on imaging focused on virtual colonoscopy, PET scan use in gastroenterology, and MR angiography.
Dr. Manuel A. Madayag, vice chair of the radiology department and director of vascular and interventional radiology at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, cited virtual colonoscopy's "ability to examine the entire colon from rectum to cecum." "Virtual colonoscopy also allows a retrograde and anterograde navigation through the colon," he added. Compared with conventional colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy makes for better tolerance, lower risk of colon perforation, and no need for sedation.
PET scan on the other hand, has its applications on esophageal, gastric, colonic, rectal, hepatic, and pancreatic cancer. "PET scan is important in oncology because it detects metabolic changes before anatomic changes occur," said Dr. Gerard F.L. Goco, consultant at the nuclear medicine department and PET Center of St. Luke's Medical Center.
Dr. Benjamin D. Adapon, chief of the CTMRI and nueroradiology at the Makati Medical Center said MR angiography is used in the evaluation of potential renal transplant donors. "It permits vascular mapping of both the arterial and venous systems and accurate diagnosis of the pelvocalyceal systems," he said.
The officers of PSG are doctors Celina Tady, president; Marvin Basco, first vice president; Albert Ismael, second vice president; Diana Payawal, secretary; Oscar Cabahug, treasurer; Ernesto Que, public relations officer; Jaime Ignacio, Luis Salvador, Randy Mercado, Marshall Chester Ching, Marceliano Aquino Jr., directors; and Eulenia Nolasco, immediate past president.
The officers of PSDE are doctors Ma. Carla Sibulo, president; Evan Ong, vice president; Ma. Lourdes Daez, secretary; Jose Tan, treasurer; Antonio Comia, Peter Sy, Chen Pen Lim, directors; and Marvin Basco, immediate past president.
Miles Dumalagan
PPS Views New Dimensions in Child Health Care
The Philippine Pediatric Society explored New Dimensions in Child Health Care in its 40th annual convention held first week of April at the Philippine International Convention Center. A total of 69 plenary and symposium speakers, all experts in their respective fields, took turns discussing various topics ranging from concerns rooted deep in pediatric care like vaccines and immunization to areas fresh and promising like immunodiagnostics and DNA analysis.
Dr. Michael Decker, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, pointed to three trends in immunization: a move towards more purified, safer, and more effective vaccines; an increase in the number of vaccines for routine immunization, and the expanding use of combination vaccines.
He cited acellular and conjugate vaccines as examples of the first trend. Decker said that while also effective and appropriate, the previous whole cell pertussis vaccine (DTwP) caused adverse reactions like persistent or high-pitched crying, fever of 40.5°C, and seizures in some cases. Acellular pertussis vaccine provides the same degree of protection with lesser side effects. Conjugate technology makes polysaccharide vaccines act like protein-based vaccines to create an immune memory and boost the response. Conjugate vaccines currently used around the world include Hib, pneumococcal, and meningococcal vaccines.
Decker noted that not only are more vaccines becoming available for various types of diseases. There is an increasing use of sophisticated combo vaccines, such as the pentavalent DTaP/IPV/Hib in Canada and the hexavalent HepaB/DTaP/IPV/Hib in Europe. These enable more antigens to be delivered with fewer shots, thereby easing the administration of vaccine. "You can only stick a needle in a patient so many times," said Decker to stress the value of combo vaccines.
Dr. Florencita R. Padua cited the potentials of immunodiagnostics in the evaluation of numerous disease states. Immunodiagnostics is both sensitive and specific, with phenomenal inclusion and exclusion capability. Padua presented its applications for local clinical practice.
Lawyer-physician Ma. Elena Enriquez shed light on DNA technology and its application in such areas as DNA profiling, paternity tests, and forensics. She also cited the cytogenetic studies being carried out at St. Luke's Medical Center on the use of DNA analysis for detection of congenital disorders, genetic diseases, leukemia and some forms of cancer, as well as for detection and typing of such viruses as dengue, hepatitis B and C, and herpes simplex.
Dr. Teresa Gustilo-Villasor ("The role of family dynamics in the prevention of social illnesses") and Dr. Alexis L. Reyes ("When do we say that a child's behavior is not just a phase?") discussed the challenges of behavioral screening for children. Clinical diagnosis of children is already solid science, honed through centuries of medical practice. Behavioral and developmental issues are harder to diagnose, mainly because "each child is a unique case, a different bowl of soup with varying ingredients of intra- and interpersonal factors. Villasor stressed that "family dynamics are very important in analyzing a child's troubles."
In appreciation of the effort and tireless dedication that go into the planning and holding of every convention, the PPS extended recognition to the chairs of the society's 40 annual conventions.
George Aranjuez
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