Medicina Consultiva

The increase in life expectancy and the aging of the population, together with more advanced surgical and anesthetic procedures, have led to older patients with significant comorbidity undergoing surgical interventions more frequently, with the consequent higher risk of complications and prolonged stays, a problem that will increase in the coming years.

That is why, more and more, Internal Medicine specialists are required by surgical specialists not only for preoperative evaluation but also to provide a rapid response to the various complications that may appear in the evolutionary course. The way in which medical and surgical services are organized to respond to this demand constitutes the basis of what is known as Perioperative Medicine. Its ultimate purpose is to ensure that the patient reaches the time of the intervention in the optimal possible conditions and that, once the surgical act has been carried out, the complications developed are minimal.

With the aim of disseminating and supporting the necessary knowledge to tackle these tasks, specialists from the La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital in Valencia (Spain) from the Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Nutrition services and the Infectious Diseases Unit developed the idea of ​​creating a Manual of Consultative Medicine that addresses, in a practical way, the different aspects for which a specialist can be consulted in the field of hospital activity, emphasizing the perioperative period, as this is the main reason for hospital interconsultation.

This project, started in 2015, now reaches a new dimension by including internists from different hospitals in the Valencian Community (Spain) and grouped under the auspices of the Internal Medicine Society of the Valencian Community (SMICV). With your participation we hope to reach new levels of excellence in the dissemination of knowledge and provide it with new tools such as those aimed at patient information and training for self-care.

The app format was chosen because the intention is that it be a dynamic and updated support with the latest scientific evidence and only the immediacy that this medium confers will allow us to achieve these objectives, with a "point-of-care" vision of use. .

Likewise, there is a direct communication channel with the authors and developers of the app, in email and blog format. From here we encourage future readers to send questions, criticisms or suggestions to follow in future updates.

We thank the Internal Medicine Society of the Valencian Community (SMICV) and the entire team of authors and developers who have participated in the development of this application, for their commendable effort. On behalf of all of us, it is our wish that future users find quick, effective and necessary help to clarify the diagnostic or therapeutic guidelines to follow in each of the aspects treated. If we reach this goal, we will feel that our effort has been worth it.

Editorial Committee