Catholic university of Louvain

General overview: the Seminar is organized since 1993 by members of the Faculty of Medicine and the University Clinics of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) within the framework of the training and continuous education in infectiology (including chemotherapy). The Seminar is not related to other organizations or institutions public or private. The speakers and the participants present their opinions in greatest freedom and scientific independence.

Organizers: Constituted after consultation and agreement of the persons in charge of the principal clinical services and departments concerned, the organizing committee gathers to date Professors Mr. Delmée (Microbiology), Mr. Goenen (Intensive Care), Y. Sibille (Pneumology), J Ninane (Pediatric oncology), P.M. Tulkens (Pharmacology), L Wilmotte (Central Pharmacy) and Drs B. Vandercam (Internal medicine) and E Sokal (Pediatric transplantation). The committee is opened to any member of the UCL and/or the University Clinics of the UCL eager and likely to play an active part there.

Public: the Seminar is firstly intended to the clinicians of the teaching hospitals and affiliated institutions confronted in their daily practice to problems infectiove pathology and likely to be interested by an improvement in this field (physiopathology and therapeutics). It  is not a seminar of specialists in infectious diseases or microbiology, even if the presence of these people is appreciated and expected to ensure a high scientific level to the meetings in connection with the subject presented.

Speakers : The speaker is chosen by the organizing committee which takes care to collect the opinions and suggestions of the clinical services of the UCL and to carry out a balanced choice according to the scientific interests expressed by these clinical services. The talk is intended to give a progress report on an important subject likely to interest the clinicians for its knowledge can influence their therapeutic decisions. Resting on clearly explained physiopathological bases, the talk must make it possible to present clinical applications. The seminar is not, initially, a seminar of research, and the practical proposals presented must thus have already received an acceptance of principle of the specialized milieux. A critical appraisal of the therapeutic approaches is however welcome. Except particular situation, each talk is limited to 40 minutes, in order to leave a time sufficient for the discussion, the talk-discussion unit being limited strictly to 1 hour.

Discussion: As much as possible, the discussion is moderated by a member of the clinical services of the UCL invited by the Organizing Committee according to the subject of each meeting. The purpose of the discussion is to establish a dialogue between the speaker and the clinicians taking part in the meeting in order to better perceive how the therapeutic proposals or the physiopathological concepts presented can be integrated in the medical practice (in the short or medium term). The discussion should also allow to situate the clinical practice of the services of the UCL within the framework of exposed and the suggestions of the speaker.

Publication: no summary or other document is requested from the speaker. However, with the agreement of the speaker, a copy of the slides and/or transparants presented will be carried out in order to constitute a printed collection intended for the participants of the Seminar who wish it (no other use of these copies will be made). This collection will also make it possible the organizing committee to publish in 'Louvain-Medical' (the official medical Journal of the Faculty)   review papers based on the talks given.  These review papers will be submitted to the speakers before any publication.

Practical aspects:

• The seminar takes place last Thursday of each month between 12h30 and 1:30pm at the University Clinic St Luc in Brussels (two meetings per annum however take place with the University Clinic of the UCL at Mont-Godinne [Yvoir]). A collation is served at 12h15. A the end of the formal part of the seminar (1:30pm), people wishing to put specific questions to the speaker will be able to make it after the meeting has been closed..
• Speakers will receive no fee but their housing and travelling expenses are dealt with by Organizing Committee After the meeting, (or the evening or day before for the speakers wishing to stay in Brussels), the Organizing Committee will be pleased to invite the speaker and some personalities of the clinical services of the UCL to a friendly meal. The wish of the organizers is that this less formal contact can be the occasion to specify or to initiate collaborations and scientific exchanges.