LA ESPECIALIDAD DE NUTRICIÓN CLÍNICA DEL ADULTO: BREVE HISTORIA DE SU DESARROLLO EN CHILE

This article shows the development of the specialty of Clinical Adult Nutrition in Chile. The f irst specialty created in Chile was developed in 1974 by Antonio Arteaga, M.D., professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile. At that time, this specialty was called Nutrition and Diabetes. After this first program, there was an important development of knowledge in clinical nutrition and various procedures were developed that were progressively incorporated into the knowledge and skills of the specialty (new knowledge in micronutrient deficiencies, their evaluation and management). Development of genetics, metabolic knowledge of obesity, its therapeutics and bariatric medicine. Artificial nutritional therapy, both parental and enteral, and development of disease-related nutrition. Management of eating disorders in multidisciplinary teams, based on their psychiatric treatment. The development of clinical nutrition has always been based on departments of the specialty in important universities in the country, with extensive production in teaching and research, and many people who based their academic development in clinical nutrition, have today reached the highest academic degrees. Presently the especially is recognized by the Chilean institutions CONACEM and the Intendant of Providers of the Superintendence of Health, after several efforts and some happy conditions that facilitated these recognitions. This specialty, today integrated into the general therapeutic arsenal, is a discipline or art that nourished by clinical skill, metabolic and nutri tional pathophysiology and, as a young discipline, is permanently attentive to the development of science in its surroundings.