[Historical review of the plague in South America: a little-known disease in Colombia].

The plague is an infectious disease that has transcended through history and has been responsible for three pandemics with high mortality rates. During the third pandemic that started in Hong Kong (1894), the disease spread through maritime routes to different regions in the world, including South America. In this region, approximately 16 million people are thought to be at risk in relation to this disease due to specific situations like human-rodent coexistence inside houses in rural areas, homes built with inadequate materials that are vulnerable to invasion by these animals, inappropriate storage of crops and an increase in rainfall and deforestation, which allows for the displacement of wild fauna and man invasion of the natural foci of the disease.

[Demonstration of tuberculosis by DNA ribotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Colombian prehispanic mummy].

The mummy studied belonged to the prehispanic Guane society. According to the Mom 003 record of the Archaeological Museum of the House of the Marqués de San Jorge, it was found in a cave in the department of Santander, Colombia, and was donated to the Culture Promotion Fund of the Banco Popular more than 30 years ago. The gender of the mummy had been previously determined by PCR study of the Y chromosome; computerized tomography studies (CT) were carried out and samples of lung tissue, vertebral spine and skin were taken for studying tuberculosis.

[Motivation to quit smoking among ex-smoker university workers and students].

Background: In Chile, 10% of deaths in adults are directly attributed to smoking.

Aim: To identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to quit smoking among a group of subjects that quitted without external help.

Material And Methods: The motivations to quit smoking were measured using the 20 items Reasons for Quitting Scale (RFQ), in 145 ex smokers (80 students and 65 workers at The University of Conception).

[Assessment of techniques and errors in the use of metered dose inhalers in the adult patient].

Background: Not all the techniques for the correct use of metered dose inhalers are used by patients and health care professionals.

Aim: To assess the techniques and errors in the use of metered dose inhalers among patients and health care professionals.

Material And Methods: Evaluation of the inhaling technique, using a validated questionnaire, used by 68 patients, 30 physicians and 30 nurses working in a hospital at Concepción, Chile.

[Smoking among academics, non-academics and students of the Universidad de Concepción].

Background: Effective smoking cessation campaigns require as baseline, precise estimations of smoking habits in different populations.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of smoking in academic, non-academics workers and student of the University of Concepción.

Material And Methods: In a random and stratified sample of 272 workers (including academics) and 1146 students, a previously validated, self administered questionnaire about smoking was applied.